I know, repetitive strain injury sounds super science-y, like something only a professional should know anything about.
But the truth is - this is an issue we all potentially deal with every day, and the more familiar we become with the causes, the more likely we are able to identify and deal with them. That ache in your back when you get up from your workstation, the unexplainable dull ache in your wrist or fingers, the tension headache? More than likely the result of repetitive strain injury. These all stem from the strain we put our bodies under when we manipulate or keep it stationary in an unnatural way, for an extended period of time, over time.
Today, I am diving into what repetitive strain injury is, the common causes of repetitive strain injury, and simple ways to mitigate the problem in your home.
What is Repetitive Strain Injury [RSI] ?
In the simplest term, it is the damage to tissues that happens as a result of performing tasks and manoeuvring the body in unnatural positions, repeatedly over an extended period of time.
For the nerds in our midst '...repetitive strain injury is caused by repeated movement. It’s not something which appears suddenly – repetitive strain injury is a cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) resulting from an excessive movement which is repetitive, forced, or awkward. Thus, it can take a while before you become aware that your body is trying to tell you that something is wrong.' - culled from Masnad Health Clinic
Repetitive strain injury in the built environment is brought on by interacting with spaces and objects that are not designed with the user in mind. The practice of user-centered design is a concept we call Ergonomics that is based on the theory of Anthropometrics - which means the measurement of the human body.
'Ergonomics is the science of the relationship between man and machinery, the equipment human beings use and the working environment. Having something that is called ergonomic means that the item has been designed to maximise productivity by minimising effort and discomfort.' - excerpt culled from here
The more mainstream cases of RSI is associated with interacting within your workspace. It is estimated that we spend one-third of our lifetimes at work.
'Writer Annie Dillard famously said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” For many of us, a large portion of our days is spent at work; in fact, the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime.'
- culled from https://www.gettysburg.edu/ -
With the current prevalence of working from home, more and more people are using their personal spaces as work spaces. This poses a few problems, especially if your designated workspace is not optimised for support during work.
The simplest solution to this would be to optimise your workspace by investing in a good quality office chair, finding something to support the small of your back while you work (think ergonomic pillow), working at a desk - if you can. If you can't, you should - ; and if you like the idea of working in bed or on your sofa, take regular breaks to stretch. Another important thing to consider is - if you're working on the computer, make sure that your computer screen is at eye-level so you are not hunched over your computer, placing strain on your back and neck, which is one of the common causes of RSI in the workplace.
For four-eyed people like me, reducing the brightness of your computer screen to match ambient lighting, puts less strain on your eyesight. I have found that, even with anti-glare lenses, my eyes still feel the strain of an unnaturally bright computer screen.
That said, there is another commonly overlooked cause that, in my opinion, poses just as big of a health risk as when you are working at the office - the home.
Causes of repetitive strain injury in the home
It is not popular practice to apply ergonomics in the design of home spaces. It is however essential. Beyond a home being an expression of who we are, our home spaces are also created for function activities e.g cooking, cleaning, manoeuvring through space, and even passive activities like watching TV.
THE KITCHEN
Carrying out tasks in the kitchen without injury depends on how easily and quickly you are able to reach for and employ regular-use items without strain that would incur damage over time.
A case in point in a past project that I worked on, was designing a kitchen for a lovely lady who is just under 5 foot four. For her, accessibility and ease of use of her kitchen was a key requirement in the design brief. What is considered a standard counter height would be a nightmare for her to work in. As she would be consistently reaching, stretching and manoeuvring her body in unnatural ways, in order to function in her kitchen. And so it was necessary to introduce smart ways to navigate around the kitchen that accommodates her needs and that of her family.
A suitable counter height, planning of function areas and how easy they are to navigate between, using the appropriate tools as well as proper light sources are a few of the key elements to consider in your kitchen. Modern kitchen designers have begun to locate ovens at torso height. This simple but effective improvement has eliminated the associated back pain that comes from repeatedly bending over to use ovens, that were prevalent in previous kitchen designs.
There are smart, movable pieces of furniture that help to mitigate RSI caused by unnatural reaching and bad posture in kitchen spaces like this minimalist stepladder.
THE BATHROOM
For a lot of us, bathroom use involves a get in and get out scenario - especially for people with busy lives. Research shows that the bathroom is one of the most demanding spaces in the home. It is even more important for people who spend a lot more time in it as a result of having children, pets or even just enjoying spending a relaxing moment in the bath.
Major pain points would be getting in and out of the shower or bath, accessibility to cleaning and grooming items, and something for the little ones to use when cleaning teeth at the sink, using the toilet or getting in the bath - or even reaching for things in storage areas.
Most important would be the type of materials used. Because a lot of water and soap is used in this space, it is imperative for the large areas like the flooring, walls, handles et cetera to be resistant to slip and easy to clean. Constantly slipping and bumping into things in the bathroom space is hardly what I would call 'living on the edge'.
THE LIVING & BEDROOM SPACE
“A piece of furniture like a sofa is almost always less about being new, and more about fitting in…”
One of our favourite spaces in the home is the living room, because this is where communal activities take place - almost on par with the kitchen/ dining space. Games, TV watching, entertainment among other activities happen here.
Two main things to consider in living room and bedroom design? Furniture design, placement and lighting.
Just like the quote by Neil Logan, the most important thing you should consider before buying any piece of furniture is 'how does it fit you and your lifestyle?'.
Do you prefer to recline while you watch TV or do you spend lot of your time reading?
What tasks do you perform in the space besides TV watching and family time? Games maybe?
These questions will help inform you or your designer on the best way to plan your living space to avoid accidents like bumping into objects, straining your eyes and neck because the TV is positioned too high, too low or outside your line of sight, or right across a window where the light from outside interferes with the resolution of your TV screen.
A few simple tweaks made here and there, as well as being conscious of the way you carry yourself while doing tasks would help immensely with preventing or even stopping any potential injuries if the damage is not too far gone.
Now that you know a little bit about what repetitive strain injury is, has this given you any a-ha moments? And what are your thoughts on them?
Let me know in the comments below :-)
Ha! that explains the funny pains in my upper shoulder and finger. This is an interesting read - it makes the reader take time to appraise almost every room in the house, especially now that homes and offices are beginning to merge into one. Most of us know about the proper good quality office chairs ... but in cases where some of us are working off the sofa, it brings to mind the question of what purpose our sofas are serving now and what type to buy. I'm glad my current sofa is wearing down, so time to think ergonomically in the next purchase ;)