Do you have an office job or a hobby that makes you spend a lot of time at the computer? Then it is important to change your posture regularly. Otherwise, you may develop arm, neck or shoulder complaints. Such complaints come under the term CANS. Formerly better known as RSI. Recovery from these types of complaints can take quite a long time. That is why prevention is better than cure. We give you tips on how best to prevent these complaints.
What is CANS?
CANS (Complaints of arm, neck and/or shoulder) can generally have multiple causes and express themselves in different ways. These range from pain, tingling and unpleasant sensations to loss of strength. The symptoms are made worse by fine movements or by sitting or working in the same position for a long time. Examples include driving a car, working at a computer or continuously applying force with the hands. We can divide CANS into two types of complaints: specific and non-specific.
Specific CANS complaints
Specific CANS complaints are caused by a medical condition that can be diagnosed. These include Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Quervain's disease, trigger finger or tennis elbow.
Non-specific CANS complaints
When we talk about non-specific CANS complaints, the patient suffers from neck, shoulder and/or arm pain, but there is no medically demonstrable abnormality for the complaints. In this case, the physiotherapist will conduct further examination and tailor treatment accordingly. The cause of non-specific CANS complaints may be physical strain, environmental factors or psychological strain (stress).
Do hand and wrist complaints also fall under CANS?
CANS complaints include hand and wrist complaints. One of these complaints is mouse arm. These complaints are mainly caused by continuously making the same movement with the muscles (while computerising), to the point of overloading them. This specific complaint involves stiff muscles, muscle pain, cramping, loss of strength, tingling, muscle fatigue and reduced coordination.
How to prevent hand and wrist injuries?
Besides typing or moving with the mouse, other factors also play an important role in preventing complaints around mouse arm. To make sure you avoid future complaints, we have listed three important tips for you.
- Consider your attitude
Try to do something different every other hour. Get exercise by getting out from behind your computer and doing some stretching exercises. Grab something to drink so you don't stay in the same position all the time.
- Pay attention to the position of your wrists
Give your wrists a regular rest by resting them on your lap or desk. Make sure your hands hover over the keyboard and hold the mouse loosely. You can purchase a wrist rest, if necessary.
- Make use of an ergonomically set workspace
Do you regularly work at a computer? If so, you may suffer from CANS
occur with different products that are ergonomically designed. At first glance, some products look separate, but as you learn to work with them, you will notice a difference. Think, for example, of an ergonomic mouse, keyboard, office chair, a wrist rest or an adjustable desk.
Are you experiencing hand or wrist pain? Then contact us
We can support you in addressing hand and wrist complaints, as well as CANS complaints in general. Please contact us via our website, by calling 085-5000333) or by sending an e-mail to info@friskfysio.nl. We will then contact you as soon as possible.
