I often get asked the question “Can Dragon help people with RSI”?
I believe that the answer is yes having carried out many joint assessments for Access to Work with ergonomic experts, for people with a range of problems such as RSI, carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. These assessments have often been followed by training, so I have seen at first hand just how Dragon can help. It is no exaggeration to say that it can be life changing!
These conditions can be extremely painful and often develop over a long period of time when people use a mouse or keyboard at work, especially if the main task is repetitive, such as using the number pad on your keyboard to enter numbers.
You may not even notice that something such as RSI is developing initially, because you may dismiss a small pain as a strain or similar. This is potentially dangerous and RSI can significantly affect a persons lifestyle by making it painful to carry out every day activities such as lifting and carrying objects around the home.
People who use a computer keyboard for long periods of intense activity should be aware of this possibility and particularly if they start to experience pains in their hands, fingers or lower arms.
An ergonomic assessment can help by suggesting a different keyboard or mouse, an adjustable desk or chair that is more supportive, and being aware of head and neck movements as you work.
There are many different types of equipment available such as split keyboards where you can change the angle of working, or ergonomic mice, where you twist the arm to a more comfortable position, and these are important because the body is not naturally designed to use a keyboard or mouse, and it is often in the small muscles around the fingers that this type of problem can begin.
Ergonomic equipment is not always the only solution however, and voice recognition software can have a big part to play in helping to ease the symptoms of RSI and similar problems.
This software will allow you to eliminate the use of the keyboard almost entirely if you wish, and can significantly reduce the use of the mouse.
In many cases it is not a good idea to stop using your hands entirely, but equally, symptoms can change, and people I have helped often have days where they simply find it too painful to use either a keyboard or a mouse. Voice recognition software provides an alternative that will allow people to carry on working without exacerbating their painful symptoms.
Can Dragon help people with RSI? Yes, it really works because it is now so good!
