Avoid bent and twisted wrists positions
Mouse clicks by feet
Keyboard shortcuts instead of mouse
Computing can sometimes be a real "pain-in-the-neck" ... but more particularly in the hands, wrists, and arms! From the heavy-duty professional user at work, to the happy "gamer" at home, constant, repetitive use of a computer keyboard can lead directly to a severe case of "RSI", or Repetitive Strain Injury.
Many typists already suffering from this condition report that it is painful to press the 
and 
keys. Avoiding these keys by using the pedals should
bring some relief from pain.
Some RSI sufferers complain about mice, and mouse clicking in particular. Though STEP ON IT! pedals cannot emulate all mouse functions, they can emulate mouse button clicks. You would still need to position the cursor with the mouse, or an alternative pointing device, such as a trackball, touchpad, J-mouse, headmouse, joystick, or a tablet. (For a list of alternative/ergonomic pointing devices, click here.)
One may also try to reduce pain caused by excessive mousing by minimizing the use of the mouse. In Windows 95, one can get along without mouse (almost...) by using various shortcut tricks. Here is the list of keyboard shortcuts.
Nobody knows for sure what causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has identified bent and twisted wrist positions as a cause. STEP ON IT! Keyboard Control Pedals help to avoid such awkward positions. Accordingly, the use of the Pedals might reduce the likelihood of the onset of the condition.
Information on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, its symptoms, prevention tips, and treatment can be found in Ergo Web, in A Patient's Guide to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, in CTDNews , in Typing Injury FAQ and several other web sites. There are many books and periodicals on the subject, too.
How big a problem is Repetitive Strain Injury? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention refers to 2.8 mln Americans as self-reporting Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, with about 1 mln. "medically-diagnosed" cases. And the number of cases is increasing at an extraordinary rate, up nearly fourfold since 1987, with an average cost of $20,000 per case. RSI costs American businesses $20 billion a year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 60 percent of all workplace illnesses are RSI cases. (More Government statistics and regulations could be found in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) home page.)
The problem has fueled the demand for ergonomic products. So much so that for Microsoft, a surprise hit has been a hardware product - an ergonomic keyboard - introduced last September. Microsoft has been unable to keep up with demand for its $99 sculptured keyboard, intended to be more user friendly than a conventional flat keyboard. Though the company avoids suggesting that its product prevents repetitive strain injuries, it is selling these keyboards at a rate of 1 million per year.
Other ergonomic keyboards on the market are: Kinesis, Comfort, Lexmark, Floating Arms, MyKey and several others. (The most extensive list of alternative keyboards can be found in Typing Injury FAQ .) They range in price from less than $100 up to $1,200 for two-piece Floating Arms. STEP ON IT! Pedals are compatible with all of them, including Microsoft Natural keyboard, and well complement them, serving the same purpose.
Bilbo Innovations Inc., has not conducted any clinical or other trial regarding Repetitive Strain Injury and will accept no liability for emergence, worsening or not improving the condition. You should also be warned of possibility of repetitive strain injury to the heels, toes, or feet as a result of using the pedals. You are advised to be sure to use the pedals in an ergonomic fashion. If you have RSI or a similar syndrome consult your doctor. If your physician approves the test use of the STEP ON IT! Pedals you may decide to proceed at your own risk. Should you decide to try the STEP ON IT! Pedals keep your doctor well informed about changes in your condition and stop using the STEP ON IT! Pedals if the condition worsens or if foot strain accumulates. Bilbo Innovations hopes its STEP ON IT! Pedals could help to relieve the strain but there is no proof or evidence that the STEP ON IT! Pedals actually helps to cure or prevent the syndrome. STEP ON IT! Computer Control Pedals is a supplementary electronic computer input device, not a medical device or healing aid.
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