Equipping office desks with a simple forearm support
may help prevent the pain that can come with long
days at a computer, new research suggests.
In a year-long study of
182 workers at a call center, researchers found
that those who received forearm supports for their
desks were less likely to suffer pain in the neck,
shoulders, arm, wrist or hand.
They were also less likely to be diagnosed with
a musculoskeletal injury in the neck or shoulders,
according to findings published in the British Journal
of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
The forearm support used in the study was a padded
board that attached to the front edge of workers'
desks. The support is placed right under the "meaty
part" of the forearm, positioning computer users'
arms in a way that releases tension in the shoulder
muscles, Dr. David Rempel, the lead study author
stated.
Based on these findings, employers should consider
providing forearm supports to workers who spend
substantial time in front of a computer, according
to Rempel, a professor of medicine at the University
of California, San Francisco.
The results were less positive, though, for a device
called the trackball - a large ball installed next
to the computer keyboard that takes the place of
the mouse. While it did ease some workers' discomfort,
others found it hard to use, Rempel said.
The study included employees at a large insurer's
call center, all of whom spent their workday at
a computer. Some workers received a forearm support
for their desks, while others received a trackball.
All employees were also given ergonomics training
so they could learn how to make their entire workstation
more comfortable.
Over the next year, Rempel's team found, workers
who used a forearm support were half as likely as
those who received only ergonomics training to be
diagnosed with a neck or shoulder injury. They also
reported less pain in the neck, shoulders and right
arm.
The cost of forearm supports -- $75 to $100
each - is not negligible, Rempel said. But in a
cost analysis, he and his colleagues found that
the supports could be a worthwhile investment, considering
the potential savings in medical and workers' compensation
expenses.
"They would pay for themselves in about 10 months,"
Rempel said.
However, forearm supports alone are not sufficient,
according to the researchers. Rempel said all employees
should receive proper safety and ergonomics training
to reduce their chances of on-the-job injuries.
SOURCE: British Journal of Occupational and Environmental
Medicine, April 18, 2006.
