Question

Write in general about ergonomic injuries and also mention the symptoms that computer users exhibit when they experience these stress-related injuries.

Answer 1

Office workers experience stress-related injuries because they spend long hours doing repetitive work. These injuries include repetitive stress injuries (RSIs), repetitive motion injuries (RMIs), and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Explanation: Here are some of the signs and symptoms that workers show when they experience stress-related injuries.

pain in the neck, shoulders, and upper and lower back

stiffness, inflammation, and swelling of joints on fingers and wrists

clumsiness in body parts

muscle weakness and restrictive movement

numbness in fingers

Answer 2

Ergonomic injuries are caused by ergonomic risk factors like awkward or sustained postures, strain, contact pressure, exposure to vibration and exposure to heat or cold. Over time, a combination of these factors may lead to injury, pain, and disability. Ergonomic injuries which can directly or indirectly be related to work environment can affect the nerves, tissues, muscles, tendons, and joints. For instance, on average, an employee may spend about 6-8 hours on the computer.

The symptoms that computer users may exhibit when they experience these musculoskeletal disorders include pain in the shoulders, upper or lower back and the neck. Others include discomfort when making certain movements, loss of coordination, general feeling of cramping, weakness of muscle function, and a sharp burning stabbing pain in the wrists.