FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• 1. I am a right handed female office worker.
  Will it be easier for me to learn the left hand
  use system than my male counterparts in this
  office?

2
ANSWER

• According to the Cortex article in 2001 by
  Nalcaci et al, Results confirmed that right
  handed females tend to have more asymmetric
  motor function than right handed males.

3
QUESTION

• Are workers who develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  (CTS) or other types of Repetitive Stress
  injuries (RSI) protected by the Americans with
  Disabilities Act?

4
ANSWER

• The ideal ergonomic computer workstation
  includes an adjustable desk and chair with a
  separate computer screen, keyboard, and mouse.
  Adjustable furniture and separate computer
  components can be made to fit your needs,
  rather than you trying to adjust to the
  limitations of the workstation.But the design of
  laptop computers defies these basic ergonomic
  guidelines. Laptop users set up shop on any
  available surface, often in cramped spacesa
  classroom desk, a conference table, an airplane
  tray, a hotel bed, their own laps. Chairs are
  anything available to sit on from a folding chair
  to a lobby couch to a park bench. The computer
  screen, keyboard, and mouse are all-in-one units
  that create a single, fixed design with typically
  smaller features than in a standard computer
  set-up.

5
QUESTION

• Explain ADA and type of accommodation

6
ANSWER

• An employer of a computer operator with CTS might
  be required to accommodate the worker with An
  ergonomically modified workstation Reduction in
  computer work from 8 hours to 4 or 5 hours per
  day, allowing the worker to perform non-computer
  related tasks for a portion of the day Voice
  activated software And if qualified, transfer
  the computer operator to a different job within
  the company, which does not require computer
  work. By denying a "reasonable accommodation" to
  a worker with CTS, the employer will be deemed to
  have engaged in prohibited discrimination under
  the ADA.

7
QUESTION

• 2. I bought a left handed keyboard/keypad as I
  was having problems with my right hand but it is
  just too hard for me to do without looking at the
  keypad numbers. Can you help?

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ANSWER

• First, you did not say if the keypad numbers on
  the left side went left to right or right to
  left. I suspect the numbers are going left to
  right. You probably need right to left. That is
  explained using Dr. Blaus book about his Torque
  Test. Also the Temprado et al study in 2005
  concluded the results suggest that learning and
  transfer of coordination patterns is mediated by
  abstract directional codes that become part of
  the memory.

9
QUESTION

• 3. I write with my left hand but I play sports
  like tennis with my right hand. I am in college
  trying to learn to be an accountant but I am
  having trouble learning the keypad numbers
  without looking. Is there anything I can do?

10
ANSWER

• Handedness is not a one- dimensional trait or
  behavior according to Corey et al 2001in the
  Neuropsychiatry/Neuropsychology Behavior Journal.
  These researchers at Tulane University believe
  multiple measures that assess different aspects
  of hand preference and performance should be
  used and mention there are implications for
  hemispheric specialization. Review the summary
  by Wilke and Sheeley in my book as that explains
  the difference between the hands and the fingers
  in directionality. I recommend for you to review
  closely the picture of the dual keyboard and
  keypad and go over the numbers on the keypad with
  your hands and fingers and figure out by your
  hands touch what type of keypad you should use
  for either the right hand or the left hand.

11
QUESTION

• 4. I am trying out the system of the dual
  keypad but I am so much slower using my left
  hand, why?

12
ANSWER

• My answer refers to the study by Fearing et al in
  2001 at Tulane University who indicate in their
  studies of right handers and left handers without
  verbal prompting or interference found that
  individuals with a stronger right hand preference
  tended to tap at a higher rate on the right
  side. Try out some of my suggestions for help
  learning left hand usage.

13
QUESTION

• 5. My brother and I are twins. I am right
  handed, he is left handed. We have taken your
  Torque Test and we are not the same at all. Can
  you explain?

14
ANSWER

• Look at the graph by Dr. Blau showing 8 different
  torque examples. In the study by Mathey in 1979,
  he suggests there is a genetic influence in
  circling patterns .

15
QUESTION

• I am a new bookkeeper on my first job. I am
  right handed. I have been looking at your
  suggestions but I am not sure about what I should
  concentrate on when using the keypad and
  inputting numbers. Do you have other
  suggestions?

16
ANSWER

• In a study by Woods et al in 1980, they looked at
  Torque, hemispheric dominance and psychosocial
  adjustment in Concurrent Counting and Typing
  Lateralized Interference depends on a difference
  between the hands in a motor skill. When you
  are doing two tasks at one time (dual
  performance), there can be interference in
  processing. What I recommend is to learn to
  focus on the numbers, not counting at the same
  time. If you were a left hander, then their
  study indicates, left handers can do both
  (counting and typing) at the same time.

17
QUESTION

• We took your suggestions as a family exploration
  since we all use computers. After we took the
  Torque Test, all of my children show different
  types of torque. Can you explain?

18
ANSWER

• From a study by Scheirs in 1990 found in
  Neuropsycholgia Journal, Relationship between
  the direction of movements and handedness in
  children and circling, for instance, was
  predominantly clockwise in the youngest and
  counter-clockwise in the older children. So, it
  would seem that to interpret that finding,
  experience in use of the hands could change
  depending upon the type of manual tasks you do.

19
QUESTION

• I am right handed, female, and I really want to
  learn the dual system of keyboards. Will it help
  to use the rubber band exercises on my left hand
  to help this learning?

20
ANSWER

• In the Farthing et al study in 2005 in the
  journal Medicine and Science Sports Exercise,
  this group of researchers found cross education
  with hand strength training occurs only in the
  right to left direction of transfer in right
  handed individuals.. We conclude that cross
  education of arm muscular strength is most
  pronounced to the non dominant arm.
• I can only conclude, yes, it will help.

21
QUESTION

• My job requires me to be on the computer 8-10
  hours daily. Both of my arms and hands get
  tired, especially my left hand. I am a right
  handed, female.

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ANSWER

• In the European Journal of Applied Physiology and
  Occupational Physiology study by Yasuda et al in
  1983, they found from their results it is
  suggested that increase of blood flow in the
  contralateral limb after training may, at least
  in part, be related to the cross transfer effect
  of muscular endurance. I recommend both warm
  up and rest breakexercise regimen for you to
  include the hand strength ball exercise for both
  hands and arms.

23
QUESTION

• My job as a research librarian requires me to not
  only use my computer but to monitor and assist 12
  other students with their research on the
  computer. I am left handed and I am having
  tendonitis in my right arm and index finger?

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ANSWER

• Be sure and review the exercise regimen
  information, then add the warm up and rest break
  exercises to your desk top. Also on your
  computer in your office and at home, obtain a
  wireless mouse and use your left hand as much as
  possible. Also review two websites Fentek
  Industries for alternative input devices and
  tifac.com to become very educated how this
  problem occurred while working.

25
QUESTION

• Will your hand and finger exercises really help
  me by strengthening both of my hands? I work 12
  hour shifts 3-4 days per week and I am a right
  handed female.

26
ANSWER

• Yes, from the research as above and this study by
  Hortobagyi et al 1997 at East Carolina University
  by their Biomechanics Laboratory researchers.
  From the journal Medicine and Science Sports
  Exercise, page 107, entitled Greater cross
  education following training with muscle
  lengthening than shortening they concluded using
  biceps training, the greater cross education
  following training was most likely being mediated
  by both afferent and efferent mechanisms that
  allow previously sedentary subjects to achieve a
  greater activation of the untrained limb
  musculature. In other words, lay your arm down
  on the workstation table, straighten your arm,
  and squeeze the ball. Strengthen both arms.

27
QUESTION

• My wrists hurt when I type, will an alternately
  designed keyboard help?

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ANSWER

• It could, the deciding factor is what is causing
  the wrists to be in pain when you type. An
  alternatively designed keyboard will improve your
  wrist posture. If this is the primary risk factor
  causing you pain then the keyboard will reduce or
  eliminating the pain you are experiencing.
  However there are other risk factors associated
  with typing they are repetition (strokes per
  minute) duration (how long do you type during the
  day), work rest scheduling (do you take small
  frequent breaks 1-5 minutes during the day),
  force used to strike the keys, and contact stress
  (are the wrists resting on a hard or sharp
  surface when typing or are you wearing tight
  fitting jewelry such as a watch or bracelet on
  the wrist. A new keyboard may help but it is
  important to examine the other risk factors you
  are exposed to. This is advice from the Dept. of
  Defense Ergonomic News

29
QUESTION

• Why does my shoulder hurt when I use my mouse?

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ANSWER

• Many workstations were designed and purchased
  before the advent of mouse driven software. Think
  back 10 years ago, if you wanted to use your file
  manager you hit shift and the F7 keys or spell
  check was Ctrl and F2. Now to do virtually any
  command you use a mouse. Workstations that are
  designed for mouse driven software have an
  adjustable tray that moves up and down and is
  large enough to accommodate a keyboard, wrist
  rest and mouse. My guess is your workstation does
  not have a keyboard tray that can fit all the
  above-mentioned items. Since not using a mouse is
  not an option your mouse rests on top of your
  desk, whenever you use your mouse you must fully
  extend your arm. This full arm extension causes
  stress to the shoulder since the shoulder muscle
  now must support the entire weight of your arm.
  As a rule of thumb the elbows should be bent 90
  degrees and be close to your sides whenever you
  type or mouse.

31
QUESTION

• What safety guidelines should I follow when using
  my laptop computer?

32
ANSWER

• Yes. Courts have ruled that in situations where
  CTS and RSI progress to the state in which they
  are considered "serious and permanent" (some
  degree of nerve damage, surgery), they qualify as
  "disabilities" under the ADA. One of the
  protections afforded workers with CTS under the
  ADA require employers to provide them with a
  "reasonable accommodation" to allow them to
  perform the basic functions of their job.