Ergonomic Tips (04/03)
Telephone Headsets
by John R. Chait D.C.,drchait@hotmail.com
Member of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.
With neck, upper back and upper extremity complaints becoming a major issue among today's PC users, it is important to look at all the factors with using a computer that contribute to the problem. While much attention has been focused on ergonomic chairs and computer use, telephone handset use has been overlooked as a major contributing factor in the development of neck and upper back problems.
A
lot of research has been done on musculoskeletal problems of the upper body,
mainly focusing on the area from the shoulders to the hands. Much has been
written dealing with specific disorders of the upper extremity body parts such
as carpal tunnel syndrome in the hands and epicondylitis (tennis elbow) of the
elbows. What is sometimes overlooked is that the same behavior that affect
these areas also involve the neck and upper back.
There was recent review of over 230 research studies of word related disorders of the upper extremities in which 89 of the studies looked into work factors associated with disorder of the neck and shoulders. The review committee concluded that there was "strong evidence that high levels of static (muscle) contraction, prolonged static loads or extreme working postures . increased the risk for neck and shoulder musculoskeletal disorders."
With a many computer users spending many hours per week in stationary positions at their PC, it is with the constant use of the telephone handset squeezed between the shoulder and neck for long periods of time that many conditions of the neck can occur. This can lead to disorders of the shoulders, arms and hands. Telephone headsets are effective in alleviating this problem and enhance productivity in the office workplace. According to a recent Medical Study, headsets were effective in reducing neck, upper back and shoulder tension by up to 41 percent. They are also known to reduce work related disorders to the neck and upper body, effectively reducing workers' compensation costs.
Research
has shown that the use of telephone headsets can reduce neck pain, back pain
and headaches in subjects who use the phone and computer simultaneously for a
minimum of two hours a day. In another study it was concluded that the use of
telephone headsets improved productivity by as much as 43 percent. The freedom
afforded by hands free movement gives computer users extra mobility to move
from their desks, interrupting the invariable static loads on the body. This
allows the person greater comfort and efficiency.
Copyright 2003. This article is from the April 2003 issue of the Sarasota PC Monitor, the official monthly publication of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 15889, Sarasota, FL 34277-1889. Permission to reprint is granted only to other non-profit computer user groups, provided proper credit is given to the author and our publication. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the publication the reprint appears in, please send to above address, Attn: Editor. For further information about our group, email: admin@spcug.org/ Web: http://www.spcug.org/
The Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc. has 1,100+ members and was established in 1982. We are members of the Assoc. of PC User Groups (APCUG), the Florida Assoc. of PC Users Groups, Inc., and we are members of the America Online Ambassador Program.
See http://www.spcug.org for all reviews from the Sarasota PC Monitor, go to the Newsletter Section.