Work in brief

COMPUTER USE AND ARM PAIN

Worldwide, hundreds of millions of people use computers at work, making use of the keyboard and mouse one of the commonest ergonomic exposures in modern workforces. IJmker et al1 have undertaken a systematic review to investigate how duration of computer use relates to the incidence of arm and neck pain. Using standardised methods, several bibliographic databases were searched and relevant articles retrieved, summarised and assessed for methodological quality and the consistency of their findings. Moderate evidence was found that hand–arm symptoms become more common with mouse use, with a dose–response relationship; risk estimates were …