Penning an answer to RSI
June 1st 2007

Many people who work in front of computer screens experience pain with various body movements, a condition known as RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury).

Dubbed 'mousearm', this discomfort is said to be diminished or eliminated by changing the layout of office workstations, particularly the position of the hand and arm.

An independent study carried out at Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany, has claimed that a pen tablet is more ergonomic than the traditional mouse. Professor Dr. Hardo Sorgatz's dissertation 'RSI prevention through change in Pointing Devices' was completed over a three-month period with 60 test subjects.

Comparative tasks were set, carried out under typical working conditions, to investigate productivity and the effect on muscles when using a battery-free pen tablet and computer mouse. He concluded that pen tablets enable users to work with the natural position of the forearm, reducing muscle tension, and therefore RSI.

Maker of pen tablets and interactive pen displays, Wacom, is delighted that the report has given further weight to its product range.

With a reported 60-70% of computer work carried out with a mouse, the alternate input device has also been welcomed by ergonomic specialists. Cordless and battery-free pen technology offers a natural tool for freehand writing, annotating and navigating, while reducing the risk of RSI.