ErgoExpo was hopping this year. Here’s my report. Conference Organizers I had a press pass to cover ErgoExpo, so I was able to use the conference speakers’ lounge as my base of operations. At lunch in the lounge on the first day of the conference, I butted into an interesting conversation in the serving line […]
Joan Vernikos Keynote ErgoExpo 2015: “Gravity Is Your Friend!”
The highlight of the ErgoExpo conference in Las Vegas last week (Nov. 17-20) for me was the keynote address by former NASA Life Science’s Director Joan Vernikos. Joan guided NASA research on biology at NASA for 15 years. Among her many accomplishments there was helping to ensure that John Glenn could return to space at […]
Portable-Computing Ergonomics
It’s been a busy week in portable-computing ergonomics. A flurry of news coverage makes it seem as if we have suddenly awakened from a long slumber and realized that our smart phones, phablets, and tablets are out to get us. First, on Tuesday The Atlantic published a widely shared article on What Texting Does to […]
Office Fitness Interview #1 – Chris Goodine of Thalmic Labs
UPDATE, 4:05 p.m. PST. Perpetuating the time-honored tradition of technical glitches in online presentations, I had trouble with the Hangout on Air set-up, so the hangout started a little late. The new hangout that I started cut off the beginning of my intro and cut out at a few points in the middle (don’t panic […]
Laptop Ergonomics
Laptop computers have now replaced desktop computers as many office worker’s main computer. This presents a challenging ergonomics problem. Since the laptop keyboard, pointing device, and screen are connected as a single unit it is impossible to have both a relaxed shoulder/arm/wrist position and a level neck and head posture. If you raise the laptop […]
Avoid Wrist Problems with Good Keyboard Ergonomics
After a long day of computing, you’re likely to experience hand, wrist, and forearm pain. An ergonomic keyboard set-up and other measures can help you stay pain-free at your computer. Keep your desk or workstation neat and uncluttered so that you can easily put your keyboard in an ideal position. Position your chair and work […]
Don’t Reach for Your Mouse
Avast ye, matey! Don’t reach for that mouse, ye scurvy office rat. Sorry, it’s Talk Like a Pirate Day, and we observe that holiday here. Anyhow, a common complaint among my massage clients is persistent pain across the top of their mouse-side shoulder (I call this condition “mouse shoulder”). When I ask them to show […]
Growth of PDA-Related Injuries a Concern
USA Today, 11/10/06 – This news story covers the legal issues that arise when PDA overuse leads to conditions like “Blackberry Thumb” and raises issues of overtime pay. The story reports that “Thumb injuries related to BlackBerrys, Treos and Sidekicks are occurring in part because employees who rely on the technology also use them extensively […]
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