MOBILE ARM REST for TYPISTS (MART)

Posted by on Dec 10, 2014 in Health

PHILIP G. NEY M.D.   8/12/2012

Typing with comfort using MART, after years of pain and paresthesia in my hands.

Figure 1: Typing with comfort using MART, after years of pain and paresthesia in my hands.

PATHO-PHYSIOLOGY

The shoulder girdle muscles must stay contracted and almost immobile all day while typing to keep the arms elevated off the key-board. Both the immobility and the constant contraction reduce the blood flow to muscles and tendons. The result is fatigue but more importantly a reduction in the production of synovial lubricating fluid in the tendon sheath. Then the tendon and joints really hurt both from friction and from hypo-vascular slow necrosis.

Therefore taking the weight of the arms on this mobile support will stop and reverse at least some of the damage. With better blood supply, the Creator has designed all living things to heal. Humans are no exception.

THE DEVICE:

A strong shock cord for each arm is attached to the ceiling or other support. The cords should be strong enough to carry the full weight of your arm and should be about 1/3 shorter than the distance from the support to the bar holding the slings. They should be mounted together and slightly forward of the keyboard so that it tends to pull the arms toward the midline and forward thus relaxing shoulder muscles and pectorals. The deltoid muscle is particularly appreciative.

The arm slings are made of ordinary canvas stitched at both ends and folded at the top to make a tube for a fairly strong plastic bar. The attachment of the shock cord should be ahead of center so that the force tends to elevate the hand end of your arm. You will soon find it is easy to make adjustments of distances and strength of shock cord. The net effect is to take 90% of the weight of your arm onto the shock cords. This will make it easy to make lateral movements for your mouse etc.

A little pocket at the elbow will keep the sling from sliding forward. The length of the sling should be the length of your arm.

The device that I use has a slightly stronger and shorter shock cord for the left arm.

RESULTS:

Within 2 days your pain should start to subside. Since this advice is free and the device is of your construction, I provide no money back guarantee if not satisfied within 5 years. However, since I constructed this 2 years ago, it sure has made my sedentary life much easier.

If this works for you, let me know, but give God the credit because all good ideas come from Him. You may contact me at admin@mtjoycollege.com.