	Ergonomics RSI (repetitive strain injury) has become a popular umbrella term for musculoskeletal disorders associated with repetitive tasks. Ergonomists and the medical profession agree that two of the risk factors relating to these types of injuries are repetition duration and prolonged posture. These two factors are easily recognisable in computer operators. For instance 8 hour days in front of a pc with the addition of many repetitive and precise mouse movements. Our task is to engineer solutions to these problems
.	Neutral wrist and prolonged posture

.	Our first solution relates to the wrist. The neutral position that is sought is that position that puts the hand in line with the lower part of the arm. In this position the muscles are not under pressure. In the usual sitting position we can see that the hand is forced out of line with the lower arm and the mouse movements left and right also put the wrist out of line. We found that by standing for a period of time with the mouse and keyboard at an angle the wrist falls into a neutral position and gets a complete rest. It is not only in a position that does not pressurise the muscles, but in this position the whole hand moves and the wrist remains straight. Our second solution is the solution to the prolonged posture. In fact we have used the same solution for two problems. By standing with the keyboard and mouse correctly angled the user gains a comfortable posture change
	For a humourous look at the situation read on Start with the pains and strains that you get in the body after long periods of sitting at the pc. Prolonged posture, and repetitive movement are risk factors in the disabilitating musculoskeletal disorders. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin...........Oh, you aren't. Well start with the Health and safety guidelines and get yourself in the correct position, like the picture on the left. Now, are you sitting comfortably............... Then I'll give you a few hours and then ask you again. 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 hours later. Are you sitting comfortably now. Mmmmm probably not, You've probably been been through most of the 1001 workstation slouches from that book that no-one has quite written yet, but you know you could fill the pages of anyhow. Oh, yes, and did you get a good sleep. No, you concentrated for 8 hours......mmmm.. forgive me for my cynicism, but...I don't think so.
	While we're on pains and strains, how's your grip these days? your mouse hand ok? Feel as good and strong as the other hand? or not really. You've heard of repetitive strain injury. Repetitive movement causing a degeneration of the muscles. A mouse rest will get your wrist in a neutral horizontal position of course when used properly, but it doesn't do much for the lateral movement like the picture on the left.(exagerated to show what I mean)
For a moving image move your mouse	Ok, did you try standing. That's a different posture, but of course you can't stand comfortably, because the keyboard and mouse are too far away and your wrists are at the wrong angle. Well, if you could stand you would be increasing your circulation, which as it happens will also waken you up and of course the new posture gives your body a bit of a rest. A bit of sitting and a bit of standing like the image on the left.
	Ok, up to now the theory's good, but we haven't solved the wrist problem and the reaching the keyboard problem yet. Well, actually by angling the keyboard and mouse in toward the monitor we can solve these problems. Firstly that lateral wrist movement (and yes I do apologise for the use of that word lateral, a word which is probably the domain of university professors, but I'm afraid it does describe the movement better than any other I could think of), the lateral movement of the wrist ceases. Why? Well the wrist locks itself in the neutral position naturally and that movement becomes like that in the image on the left. The keyboard is also angled, and we find that the keys are at our fingertips once more.
	Now, does the position of the image on the left look comfortable, well actually it is extremely comfortable, but don't take my word for it. Go to the products page and try it for yourself, or if you don't live on the other side of the world we may even provide a demonstration.

Posture mistakes

We ignore our bodies, or to be more precise we ignore, what they are telling us.

Take driving for instance during a long drive one of several things happen. You feel tired or your knee, back or neck get stiff or your buttocks go to sleep. However your aim is to make that 8 hour journey in 8 hours and you are not going to stop if you don't have to. So, you move your neck, straighten your leg, shift the buttocks, shake your head, open your window and carry on driving. The smart thing to do would be to stop have a sleep, go for a walk and then carry on, but that doesn't happen. DOes it?
There are similarities between driving on a 8 hour journey and computing.
For some people both require the user to sit for 8 hours. For some of the more fortunate they are required to sit for a little less. At the computer, do we feel tired? yes we do. Do we stop and go to sleep for half an hour? No, of course not. We sit and pretend to work for half an hour while we go cross eyed, we then decide that you can't go on like that and you go for a mars bar at the vending machine and hope that gets you back out.
Do we get stiff necks, backs, shoulders and knees, do our buttocks go to sleep? Not as badly as in a car thankfully, but certainly for some people these problems still exist. Why just for some people? Because the problems are preventable and thankfully better understood than in the past. We now have adjustable chairs to give us correct posture We have footrests to move our feet we have adjustable desks to let us stand at our desks and we now have revoutionary more affordable alternatives - adjustable supports Does this mean that all our computer posture problems have gone away? Incredibly no. Some people don't yet have our devices! Don't lose your grip. Stop it before it starts. See products page and keep healthy.

Some technical information

Keyboard support. Supports keyboards at various angles up to around 60 degrees.
Mouse support. Supports the mouse at various angles up to around 60 degrees.
Allows users to alternate between sitting and standing
When used standing the wrist is resting
Standing increases circulation and is beneficial when feeling tired/drowsy in front of the computer or when the hand/wrist feels tired or peculiar