Is Typing Speed Proportional to the Severity of Pain in Keyboard Workers with Work-related Upper Limb Disorder

Abstract

ObjectivesTo investigate if typing speed is proportional to the severity of pain in keyboard workers with work-related upper limb disorder (WRULD).DesignStandardized functional typing test with participants scoring pain before and after typing; calculation of typing speed.ParticipantsFifty-nine patients and six controls.SettingTertiary hospital centre for hand and upper limb pain.Main outcome measuresPain (VAS 0–10) and calculation of typing speed as words per minute.ResultsThree subgroups of patients were found based on their typing speed: fast, slow and intermediate. Two-tailed student T-test with P level at 0.05 was used for evaluation. The typing speeds were significantly different between all three patient groups (P < 0.05). The typing speed was significantly faster in the fastest patient group than in the control group (P = 0.04) and the slow and middle groups (P = < 0.0001). The pain before typing was highest in the ‘slow’ group, in both hands but this difference was not statistically significant.ConclusionTyping speed is not proportional to the severity of pain in keyboard workers with WRULD. Patients with statistically significant slower or faster typing speeds do not have statistically different levels of pain.

Effects of different computer typing speeds on acceleration and peak contact pressure of the fingertips during computer typing

“…Most computer operators complain upper extremity pain after long periods typing work 9 , 10 ) . A previous study showed that typing speed is not proportional to the severity of pain in keyboard workers with work-related upper extremity disorder and that slower or faster typing speeds do not cause statistically different levels of pain 8 ) . It has already been reported in previous studies that a typing speed did not influence pain in the upper extremity but that it could incur a negative effect on the wrists or fingers.…”

“…Normally, stress applied to fingers due to computer work is overlooked easily compared with shoulder or low back pain occurring after computer work. In addition, modern society requires a fast pace in completing computer work 8 ) . According to our study results, a fast typing speed causes continuous pressure stress to be applied to the fingers, thereby creating pain in the fingers.…”

“…A previous study showed that cumulative keyboard use was associated with the occurrence of wrist disorder or pain among employees and that cumulative keyboard use remained an important factor in the development of carpal tunnel syndrome 6 , 7 ) . Continuous keyboard typing could cause not only wrist pain but also constant stress on the fingers 8 ) . However, few studies have been conducted on the stress on the fingers according to the computer typing speed.…”