The ironic thing is, it s the most dedicated and hardest working people who are most at risk. The most common signs of repetitive strain injury or cumulative trauma is tendonitis. This is an inflammation of the tendons brought on by tense muscles, which are overstrained due to restrictive use. The main symptoms are pain, stiffness, swelling, numbness or tingling in the hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, back or neck. This can be owing to the compression of the meridian nerve, which runs through the wrist, and bad posture.
Discomfort starts in one area, like the neck and shoulders, and spreads to other parts of the body.
The effects are also likely to show up the morning after, as aches and stiffness in the limbs and hands. The main culprit for these problems is poor circulation. The lack of movement causes normally freely-flowing blood to be inhibited, reducing the flow. And because working a computer requires minimal effort, we are unlikely to notice the symptoms until it's too late. The top of your monitor should be just below eye level allowing the neck muscles to relax.