Computer dis-ease; forget computer viruses; your VDT may be making you sick - video display terminal - Total Well-Being

Computer Dis-ease

Forget computer viruses; your VDT may be making you sick

Computers have revolutionized our lives. They are capable of storing megabytes of information that are transported in milliseconds of time, and most jobs require them. But I found out the hard way that working in a modern electronic office can be hazardous to your health.

Reported cases of work-related injuries due to video-display terminals (VDTs) range from varicose veins and vision problems to miscarriages and stress-related diseases. The number of people and the variety of professions affected by these diseases are increasing every day. Two of the most debilitating disorders are carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), the compression of nerves and blood vessels in the wrist that causes numbness and pain, and myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), a form of soft-tissue rheumatism that affects certain muscles and ligaments in the neck, shoulders, back and arms. I had the misfortune of being diagnosed with the former, only to discover that, in fact, I have the latter.

As a former staff writer and researcher for the Los Angeles Times, I, like many employees, averaged four to six hours a day working on a computer. In December 1986 I began noticing numbness, soreness and a tingling sensation in my hands and wrists. The company nurse recommended Advil (ibuprofen) for the pain. I tried nightly liniment massages and hot soaks in Epsom salts, which offered minimal relief. My discomfort became intermittent, so I ignored those early warning signs.

Eventually, my aches intensified to a constant throbbing pain in my upper arms, neck and shoulders. A year after starting my job, my life became a 24-hour nightmare. I couldn't hold an eight-ounce glass of water, turn a doorknob or raise my arms high enough to comb my hair. Even beating an egg produced uncontrollable muscle spasms in my right arm. Because I didn't have any visible signs of injury, family, friends and co-workers couldn't understand what was wrong with me.

When a chronic-pain specialist diagnosed my condition as myofascial pain syndrome, after an incorrect diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, I began a modified work schedule to accommodate my rehabilitation therapy. But three months later I was on disability leave. Now my routine consists of acupuncture and physical therapy, psychotherapy and biofeedback sessions to control the muscle spasms, along with twice-daily doses of pain relievers and muscle relaxants as needed. My sleeping positions are limited to those that will allow me to keep my arms elevated, while my back and sides are supported by pillows. Shoulder bags are a thing of the past, as are long-distance drives. My recovery remains a slow, on-going process.

Who's at Risk?

According to Dr. Jeanne Axler, a Los Angeles-based chronic-pain specialist, repetitive strain injuries (RSI), such as CTS and MPS, develop gradually through movement of the same muscle groups over an extended period of time. "The population most at risk for this is typically working or living under stress," says Axler. "The higher the stress level, the more likely the injury. After the initial symptoms, it depends on how long a person can live in unbearable pain or ignore it until the body forces them to stop."

The 9 to 5 National Association of Working Women, a nonprofit organization of office workers, estimates that employees who spend 20 or more hours per week on a computer without taking a rest break and those in highly stressful positions, such as customer service, airline reservations or classified advertising, are more prone to VDT illnesses.

According to a recent report by 9 to 5 and the Service Employees International Union, more than 28 million Americans now use VDTs on the job, and the number is expected to grow beyond 40 million by 1990. This is of particular importance to women since they traditionally hold office positions. "By the end of the century a significant number of working women will use computers every day on the job," states Deborah Meyer, associate director of the Cleveland-based 9 to 5 organization. "Steps must be taken now, otherwise millions of women will be living in pain."

Another study, by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, indicates that carpal tunnel syndrome occurs from three to ten times more often among women than men.

Computer users aren't the only ones at risk for developing this illness; anyone in a repetitive hand-using occupation can contract the illness. Those at risk include cash-register clerks, factory workers, meat cutters, telephone operators, airline-reservation agents and writers. At present only nine states--California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin--and the District of Columbia have guidelines to protect VDT workers. Since most states do not code workers' compensation statistics for disorders such as myofascial pain syndrome, the incidences are hard to track.

Safeguarding Your Health

To protect employees' health, 9 to 5 urges women to assess their work environment by comparing their present working conditions and office equipment with their needs. "As a group, document health problems and concerns and suggest to supervisors changes for a healthier environment," advises Meyer. If initial efforts go unheeded Meyer suggests that workers be persistent and consult with their union representatives or consider joining advocacy groups.

Taking Precautions

Those employed in computer-aided and hand-repetitive jobs should heed these warning signs: sensations of numbness and/or tingling in fingers or hands; loss of hand function or difficulty grasping large objects, or the dropping of small ones; swelling in the forearm; and sharp, shooting pains down shoulders to hands. These could also be symptoms of other illnesses such as arthritis or diabetes. In any case, you should seek medical help immediately. If you work in a modern electronic office, taking simple preventive measures can decrease your risk of developing work-related disorders such as CTS and MPS. Here are a few: * Don't work at a computer terminal for longer than 4 to 5 hours without taking a break. * Short breaks should be taken every hour or two by standing, stretching, walking around, looking at distant objects and varying your work activities. * If someone else uses your computer workstation, remember to readjust the equipment to suit your needs before resuming your work. * Make sure you have a good chair that supports your upper back and lower spine and that allows prolonged sitting without causing muscle or skeletal stress. * Keep seat back angled slightly backward. * Make sure you have easy access to work materials by storing them in files and utility trays that are on eye level and within arm's reach. * Those who wear bifocals may need to wear special glasses for VDT distance. * Make sure you have good overhead lighting and use a desk lamp to light your material.

Deborrah M. Wilkinson is currently on disability leave from the Los Angeles Times. Upon her return, she will be retrained for a noncomputerized position.

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