Handheld hurt

"Doris Mosblech's boss at Embarcadero Systems bought her a BlackBerry last month so she could instantly read and reply 24/7 to all the e-mails funneling in from the Alameda company's 2,500 employees.

The 53-year-old network manager, who already works 14-hour days, now has even less leisure time to garden and scrapbook. But the biggest pain isn't receiving the round-the-clock disruptions -- it's replying to them.

Mosblech torques her wrists and curls her fingers to clutch the 4.69-inch handheld device while scrunching her thumbs to type 50 to 100 e-mails a day on the keyboard's popcorn kernel-size buttons.

``My fingers get crampy, my hands hurt, and I have problems grasping things,'' the San Mateo woman said. Sometimes ``it will hurt all the way up to my neck.''
Repetitive stress injuries -- a common curse of desktop and laptop computer users -- are now afflicting people who type on handheld devices. As the sizes and prices of handheld typing devices continue to shrink, doctors and therapists caution that consumers need to treat their on-the-go text messaging work as a physical workout."

Composite Health Care System II (CHCS II)

"Imagine this: A patient you've never met comes into your office after having last seen a doctor more than 6,000 miles away. But even before you speak to him, you know his complete medical history, from his allergies to the diagnosis from his last x-ray.

An automated reminder e-mail informs you the patient is due for a vaccination booster and a follow-up to some lab work that his previous doctor ordered months ago. When the patient's checkup is complete, all of the necessary evaluation and management codes for the visit are automatically compiled and ready to be sent electronically to the appropriate payer. Now the next physician to treat this patient will know everything that you've done without ever having to give you a call."

The Kenwood HDM-555, redefining ride pimping

"Not that we should expect to see Kenwood's latest in out-of-control in-dash stereos, the HDM-555, hit these states in short order, but you know we want it. What�s the Windows CE 4.2-based system feature, you ask? Oh, just a 20GB hard drive, MP3, WMA, and video file and DVD playback, GPS (including map data and POI, we presume), and, of course, an iPod interface. Man, the Japanese are totally schooling us on how to pimp those wheels!"

Can it be easily used while driving?

Set the Record Straight: CRTs vs. LCDs Better or Worse?

"Have you heard the horror stories of people's eyeballs exploding from staring at their CRT monitors for too long? Though they are scary, luckily they are not true. This article should clear up the pros and cons of the two main display types-- CRT and LCD."

LCD displays are more visible even in slightly lower ambient lighting conditions.

When each pixel on a CRT refreshes it goes light-darker-darker-black, during the "light" phase the pixel on a CRT is actually harmfully bright! Ever wake up and run to your PC only to blinded by your monitor for a good five minutes? You can reduce the effect of this phenomenon by using a CRT with higher persistence phosphor. In turn, producing a gamer’s nightmare, known as “ghosting”. The best solution being, raise your refresh rate as high as your CRT supports.

In comparison to this, LCDs don't flicker anywhere near as much, which makes them much easier on the eyes.

For now the price of LCDs is the only major drawback. If you can find a good deal on a LCD that fits your bill, do your eyes a favor and treat them to it. I myself am looking around for a good deal on a LCD, I have been getting frequent headaches around my forehead/temple after long sessions on my CRT.

Hardcore gamers and creative pros may have some problems with LCDs though. Ghosting and accuracy is still a problem compared with CRTs. Gamers may find ghosting distracting. Creative professionals may find the comparatively lower contrast, color accuracy, and picture accuracy to be problems that outweigh the benefits of LCDs.

But for everyone else that isn’t concerned with extreme picture accuracy, LCDs offer phenomenal advantages over CRTs, with the picture often being better than a standard, cheap, consumer CRT.

Orwell and Business

George Orwell's novel about a totalitarian society, 1984, was published 56 years ago but still resonates with anybody familiar with American business today. Maybe we don't have an omnipotent Big Brother and his Thought Police watching our every move. But one of the dictator's skewed aphorisms sounds familiar: "Ignorance is strength." In the world of 1984, holding a minority opinion, no matter how sensible, is considered insane and subversive. Individualistic thinking is outlawed.

Today groupthink is pervasive in society. For example, an exaggerated public suspicion of business and its leadership is creating an overly regulated American corporate landscape. Isolated misdeeds at places like WorldCom and HealthSouth have spawned this widespread furor. Now, few would argue against punishing wrongdoers. Yet why punish people with good intentions and make them watch their backs all the time when they should be devoting their energy to building great businesses?

Orwellian groupthink is also found within the ranks of business itself, where it restricts risk-taking and imagination. Independent thought as a theory is relatively easy to embrace, but practicing it is another matter. Winston Churchill, an Orwell contemporary and a foe of totalitarianism, once said, "Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it."

The following companies all embrace original thinking. By no coincidence they each have thoughtful, nonexecutive chairmen who are involved in corporate strategy and are the antithesis of rubber stamps. As a result these gems stand out from the competition and are well-positioned for the future.

The latest proof of Steelcase's imagination is its new ergonomic chair, named, appropriately enough, Think. As Steelcase describes this product, Think is the chair with "a brain and a conscience." The chair's seat and back adjust intuitively to a person's movements, and the chair is 99% recyclable, from the fabric to the wheels.

Dangers of life in the slow lane

"Stuck behind a dawdler on a Sunday afternoon? Don't blame the greying hair behind the wheel. It may be the undersized road signs and poorly lit streets slowing the driver down."

"Slow driving, though widely once believed to be the safest form of driving, is, however, not without risk," says the team's study, published in the journal Ergonomics.

The slowest drivers were the elderly, the study finding that people over 55 drove on average almost seven kilometres under the speed limit. The under 30s were clocked on average at three kilometres under the limit.

"Large-scale media campaigns exhorting drivers to speed up is not an option that should be considered," the study says.

Instead, it suggests, governments may need to redesign roads, make traffic signs larger, improve street lighting and toughen laws on slow driving on freeways

The office chair goes to school

"With our newfound obsession with design -- in our homes and offices, stores and restaurants, even our cars -- it's surprising the classroom has been so utterly ignored. Take a look around on your next school open house. What you see may shock you."

I wondered how an ergonomically engineered, modern-day office chair might enhance the classroom experience of an educator like Finlayson, who is known for his high energy and unconventional approach (he is my son's teacher). Since Toronto's Teknion was offering a trial of its sleek new Contessa chair, I asked Finlayson whether he would like to give it a whirl.

"This chair is a celebrity," he said when I visited his classroom recently. "When it arrived, word got out and all these people came up to see it. The custodian was in here studying it."

Her goal: to keep people at work

"By the job description, it sounds like Jane Hughes, RN, could be a school nurse. She administers first aid, provides education and tries to keep people from being absent."

But Hughes doesn't work with children; instead she works full time as an occupational health nurse at Assurant Employee Benefits in Kansas City, Mo.

Hughes now oversees the health and well-being of 1,300 Assurant employees in her building and 1,000 other employees who work outside the building. She shares responsibilities for employee health with exercise physiologist Amy Johnson and spends approximately 50 percent of her time in direct contact with employees.

Now she has a wide variety of other responsibilities, which include overseeing benefits that are paid for 13 weeks up to the point of short-term disability, and worker's compensation and ergonomics issues. Hughes recently met with the manager of company support services to review and revise a company ergonomics brochure. In addition, any piece of specialty equipment for an employee goes through her first.

"These can be anything from a different computer mouse to a sit-stand work station, or a keyboard for a person with multiple sclerosis or carpal tunnel syndrome," she said.

Repetitive Stress Injuries and Ergonomics in the workplace

Repetitive Stress Injuries and Ergonomics in the workplace : Health Care Articles ExpressNewsline.com- ExpressNewsline.com: "Reports of Repetitive Stress Injuries (or R.S.I.'s) have increased more than four hundred percent in the last seven years. More and more people are finding themselves victim to the recurring discomfort of nerve and musculosketal disorders. Most physicians agree, computer users are the main source of increase. It's not owning a computer that is unhealthy of course, but rather, the way in which you're using your computer.

What causes Repetitive Stress Injury?

R.S.I.'s are most commonly caused by repeated physical movements, such as working in a single position for long periods of time.

What are the symptoms of R.S.I.?

Feelings of pain, throbbing, aching, tingling, numbness, burning and stiffness are all indicators of possible Repetitive Stress Injury, even if they don't occur while you are working. The presence of symptoms does not always mean you suffer from R.S.I., but should be taken as a warning sign to visit a health professional and adjust your work atmosphere accordingly. "

Anthro Laptop Cart

"If you have been in the professional video/audio industry for any amount of time, you are probably aware of Anthro, the company responsible for some of the most functional desks and workstations around. Anthro has taken their design and retooled it for the consumer. The result is the Anthro Adjustable Laptop Cart that is perfect for those working around the house.

I have used the Anthro Fit Console Unit for years for my video editing and motion graphics work. The curved design means all of my monitors, graphics tablet, record decks, and computers are within easy reach when I am working long hours. The adjustable keyboard shelf allows me to work from a comfy chair, or when my legs need to stretch, I can work standing up."

ErgoClick Mouse: A hands-on review

Usernomics has been able to conduct a hands-on review of the ErgoClick mouse. If you have an RSI-type of problem, this is the mouse for you.

The ErgoClick is a very simple mouse that is well-designed and contoured to comfortably rest your left hand on without the need to grip. You can adjust the pressure of the clicking force with a wheel located on the side of the mouse. We selected the lightest touch and found that it was very easy to learn and use. All mouse functions are configurable but we found the default configuration quite usable.

The idea is to use your left hand for clicking while using your existing mouse in your right hand for moving the cursor. In addition, there is a button that you can hold down with your left thumb for scrolling. Equally important, the ErgoClick mouse can be rotated and oriented to accommodate individual comfort levels. Note that your existing mouse retains full functionality at all times. So you completely eliminate the need to use your right hand except for moving the cursor around the page.

From a pain management viewpoint, I can’t think of a better solution than removing the need to use your right hand for any type of pressure actions. While an hour or so is recommended for getting used to the left hand operation, we found it very easy to use right out of the box.

If you have any kind of problem with your right hand, this is the solution for you. In fact, even the left hand operation of the ErgoClick mouse is so unobtrusive that it would be beneficial for people who also have problems to their left hand.

On the lighter side

Seniors at increased risk for injuries

"As Americans live longer, it seems we are also living better, meaning, we are healthier and more likely to stay active. But it turns out there is a hidden danger in that. There is information in a new government report that could save your life."

That means alerting seniors about the most common danger zones for accidents including their bathrooms, ladders and step stools and in their kitchens.

The numbers are startling. Injuries requiring emergency room visits by seniors are up 73 percent in a decade, to 1.4 million. There were nearly 16,000 deaths from accidents at home in 2003.

New Computer Mouse Maneuverable with Nose, Tongue and Even Eyes

"A group of computer science students in Korea have developed a program where people can manipulate a mouse by moving their noses and tongues and even by blinking their eyes. The program may offer physically-disabled people easier access to computers.

The program recognizes the movements of a person's head, allowing a cursor to move to where this man's nose is pointing. People who cannot move their necks can use their tongues, while the blink of an eye activates the double click function. And just like that, Internet sites pop up on the screen.

This is made possible by a new computer program developed by a group of students at Hansei University in Korea. 'The technology works by distinguishing the characteristics of a face and tongue among the visual images picked up by a web camera.' Anyone with a cheap web cam can use the program.

That's because, the students say, many disabled people in Korea may not be able to afford it if it was too expensive. 'We wanted to let disabled people use computers more easily than by having to manipulate sticks or other tools.'"

RSI Day kicks off Ontario ergonomics campaign

Why International RSI Awareness Day? Repetitive strain injuries are a serious occupational health concern across the world. Held on the last day of February, it is the only "non-repetitive" day on the calendar (as officially RSI day is observed on February 29th).

Work shouldn't hurt, but it won't hurt to get involved — so do.

OSHA Withdraws Final Rule for National Consensus Standards

"A letter from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has scuttled OSHA's plan to bypass time-consuming rulemaking procedures in the agency's effort to update OSHA standards.

OSHA wants to delete references in its standards to national consensus standards that the agency believes are out of date. But the Chamber of Commerce believes employers may still be relying on these consensus standards, some of which are decades old.

Although the Chamber of Commerce stated in its letter that its concerns should not be seen as 'significant adverse comments' that would derail the expedited rulemaking process, OSHA disagreed.

The agency stated it would announce in the Feb. 18 Federal Register its plans to withdraw the proposed direct final rule that revokes references to outdated national consensus standards and industry standards."

The human factor - What is an ergonomic product?

Ergonomic hand tools, ergonomic chairs, ergonomic phones, ergonomic celery — you hear it everywhere, but what does ergonomic really mean?

There are no regulations or guidelines on what can be called an ergonomic product. In fact, any product could be called ergonomic, whether it has beneficial features or not. For a while, advertisers and marketers were calling any “new and improved" product an ergonomic product. Lately there has been a shift in strategy because the ergonomic label began to be recognized as nothing more than a marketing gimmick.

When I teach a course in ergonomics, I often have people compare an ergonomic product with its non-ergonomic counterpart. They compare ergo-whisks with non-ergo whisks, drills, needle-nosed pliers, shovels, rotary cutters and sports drink bottles. Consistently, they come up with a list of features that makes one product more desirable than the other.

USB Powered Thermal Wrist Protector

"If you spend eight hours a day slaving in front of a computer like we do, then your wrist probably sounds like a cement mixer by now. eTailer ComputerGeeks.com is selling a USB Powered Thermal Wrist protector that might just help your pain and offset that repetitive stress injury for a while. The neoprene band secures to your wrist with Velcro straps, and uses the Far Infrared Ray generated by a non-metallic Petatech wire to create soothing heat to relax the muscles, to the same effect as an electric blanket."

Worms, slugs inspire robotic devices

"Drawing on an understanding of how slugs, leeches and earthworms traverse their environments and grasp objects, a team of Case Western Reserve University biologists and engineers has developed two flexible robotic devices that could make invasive medical procedures such as colonoscopies safer for patients and easier for doctors to administer.

The researchers from Case's departments of biology, mechanical and aerospace engineering and electrical engineering and computer science have obtained a patent for a new endoscopic device and a provisional patent for a gripping device that may have industrial as well as medical uses."

Ergonomic implications ...

'Mighty mice' to fight weak bones

"US scientists have made a 'mighty mouse' whose big muscles could help find a way to prevent bones weakening.

It has 70% more muscle mass than normal mice as it lacks the myostatin gene that ensures muscles do not overgrow.

Six years ago, a German boy was born with a myostatin mutation and had muscles twice the normal size.

A Medical College of Georgia team says bones may respond to the stress placed on them by extra muscle by forming more bone - helping to fight osteoporosis."

Wal-Mart Deal Shows A Shift On Policing Workplace

"When news came out a few days ago of the Bush administration's deal giving Wal-Mart advance warning before inspecting for labor law violations, I thought of a visit to The Courant by Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.

It was Aug. 8, 2002, a summer when Chao was floating all sorts of ideas about ways to make her department more friendly to business."

She actually suggested that companies should receive advance warning of safety and health inspections. After all, she reasoned, most employers mean well, so why shouldn't the government help them to help workers?

We saw it when they instantly gutted ergonomics standards that had been in the works for a dozen years. We saw it with overtime rules. We saw it again last week with the Wal-Mart agreement. So when we see a cultural change in worker safety, it's worth a very skeptical look.

Office work is a pain in the neck

"Office workers risk health problems as communications technology makes them slaves to their desks.

So says research from cordless communications outfit, GN Netcom, which found that a third of workers are tied to their desks for more than seven hours a day."

Two thirds of those quizzed blamed health problems on being chained to their desk, with half claiming they suffer from stress and four in ten complaining of neck and shoulder ache.

The research also found that email now takes up almost as much time as telephone calls for the majority of the UK's office workers.

Six in ten people spend more than an hour per day on emails with a third spending up to three hours a day ploughing through their inbox.

Mr. Clean gets into ergonomics

"Procter & Gamble has introduced Mr. Clean MagicReach, a cleaning tool designed specifically for the bathroom and its hard-to-reach places. It quickly cleans bathroom surfaces, including in and around the sink, behind the toilet, all tub and shower surfaces as well as the bathroom wall and floor tile. Mr. Clean Magic Reach is ergonomically designed, lightweight, and features a pivoting football-shaped head. Includes both disposable scrubbing and mopping pads. The head is removable to help you attack all bathroom surfaces, and there's an extendable 4-foot pole. Mr. Clean Magic Reach will be available this month for $12.99 at grocery, hardware, variety and drugstores. Information:"

Avoiding Computer Fatigue Syndrome

"Because so many of us use computers on a daily basis and the fact that it has become engrained in our workplace, home life and extracurricular activities, almost all of us have experienced annoying physical symptoms after several hours in front of our computer.

Symptoms such as eyestrain, blurred vision, dizziness & headaches, red, dry or burning eyes, excessive fatigue, neck, shoulder, back, wrist or elbow pain are common place with those people that depend on the computer for livelihood or students spending hours in front of one doing their assignments. Those that spend hours on a computer for entertainment are not immune either. This constellation of symptoms can be bundled up in a syndrome called Computer Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

In a recent OSHA report the government organization on workplace safety stated that Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) a subset of CFS along with other overuse work related injuries associated with prolonged computer use appears to be growing rapidly. Some studies estimating that 90 percent of the 70 million U.S. workers using computers for more than 3 hours a day experience some form of computer fatigue. "

Striking a Chord with Rock Concert Goers to Reduce Hearing Loss

"A new U of T study recommends the provision of ear plugs, education at concert entrances and the reduction of music sound levels to minimize the risk of hearing loss for rock concert attendees.

The conclusions are part of a study published in the January/February issue of the Canadian Journal of Public Health, which looked at whether concert goers perceive there is a risk of hearing damage from the loud music at concerts and whether they use hearing protection at these venues. The study revealed that although 74 per cent of attendees thought it was likely or very likely that noise levels at music concerts could damage their hearing, 80 per cent said they never wore hearing protection at such events. "

Erring on the Side of Disaster

"The creation of a safety culture is a topic discussed at nearly every major occupational safety conference these days. In its simplest form, a safety culture represents the value that an organization places on safety and the actions that its employees and managers take to operate in a safe fashion. If a company treats safety as the program of the month, no employee with the title of 'safety manager' is going to find much success.

Our cover story this month examines the self-acknowledged failure by FirstEnergy Corp. to develop an effective safety culture at its Davis-Besse nuclear power plant in Ohio. In March 2002, that failure led to the discovery of a large hole in the reactor's pressure vessel head, a carbon steel plate more than 6 inches thick."

Beware the Hidden Eye Hazards

"Eye injuries in the workplace remain all too common, afflicting more than 700,000 Americans each year. Yet Prevent Blindness America says 90 percent of these injuries can be avoided with a simple and obvious expedient: safety eyewear.

If that's the case, why do so many workers and employers appear to be blind to the value of safety glasses?

Jim McKay, plant manager at McMormick and Co. Inc., the spice manufacturer based in Hunt Valley, Md., doesn't know the answer to that question, but he knows how to solve the problem. After joining the company as safety manager, he began a mandatory safety eyewear program that applied to everyone at all times in McMormick's production facilities. Serious eye injuries have been virtually eliminated."

How to Protect the Aging Work Force

"Last month, we examined the physical changes that the body undergoes with age and the steps that employers can take to ensure that their workplaces are designed to accommodate those changes and not pose an unnecessary threat of injury. As we noted, we want the brain power and the experience and knowledge that older workers provide, but not the lost work-time days, workers' compensation claims or any of the negatives associated with injuries/illnesses.

Now let's address the slowing of mental processes. 'Memory' is not a single entity or ability. Memory is a process that consists of a number of components, each controlled by various neurological systems. For the purposes of this article, the term 'memory' is used broadly to apply to all aspects of our ability to learn, retain and recall information. In addition to memory, this information can also be applied to other thinking skills, such as attention and reasoning."

Building Trust for Safety

My friend's father was a plant electrician before he got hurt. Highly skilled guy, very bright and motivated to excel at whatever he puts his hands on. But that's the problem. He can't easily put his hands on anything. He has no ability to torque/twist his wrist, due to cumulative injury to small carpal bones in his hands. After corrective surgery, he was supposed to be on light duty to heal but his supervisor changed his job title and had him work his old job. He wound up permanently hurt. His employer denied his long-term disability claim on a technicality. He ran out of savings trying to hire an attorney to fight his case. He can't work – can't even help his daughter install a fan in her new house. He feels terrible, and all his co-workers know about this and remain angry.

Controlling corporations and restoring democracy

One does not have to look far in Washington these days to find evidence that government policy is being crafted with America’s biggest corporations in mind.

For example, the Bush administration’s 2006 budget cuts the enforcement budgets of almost all the major regulatory agencies. If the gutting of the ergonomics rule, power plant emissions standards and drug safety programs was not already enough evidence that OSHA, EPA and FDA are deeply compromised, the slashing of their enforcement budgets presents the possibility—indeed, probability—that these public agencies will become captives of the private corporations they are supposed to regulate.

Take team approach to preventing costly injuries

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.' Most everyone has heard this statement.

I am going to apply this statement to help you avoid or eliminate on-the-job injuries to your employees' musculoskeletal systems and save you some health-care dollars. These musculoskeletal injuries are repetitive motion disorders (tendinitis), carpal tunnel and spinal injuries to the back and neck with or without injuries to the disc and spinal nerves."

Education of your work force is very important in preventing injuries. Many of your employees find medical terminology confusing. They will not understand many of the different medical diagnoses. Educate your work force on basic anatomy and how these tissues may become injured. For example, most people do not know what a tendon is or what causes tendinitis. They may believe that once you get tendinitis you have it for life.

What the educators are saying

"Concern about medical errors has resulted in increased regulation of trainees' hours in the United States and Europe. To begin to quantify the effect of these changes on patient safety, trainees were randomised to a 'traditional' work schedule that included extended shifts (at least 24 hours) or a schedule that did away with extended shifts and cut the number of hours per week. During 2203 patient days involving 634 admissions, trainees on the traditional schedule made almost 36% more serious errors than those on the reduced shift, leading to a 22% increase for the entire critical care unit. Of particular note, the number of unintercepted errors for the traditional work schedule increased by more than 56%. Eliminating extended shifts and reducing the working week can improve patient safety. "

Several related articles ...

Finnish study shows handset radiation within limits

"A Finnish survey of some of the world's most popular mobile phones found the amount of radiation they emit is well below agreed limits and largely in line with data published by manufacturers.

The annual survey by Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) covered 16 new models made by top handset makers including Finland's Nokia, Motorola of the United States and South Korea's Samsung Electronics. "

A computer chair and workstation that transcends traditional ergonomic office furniture.

The adjustable Stance angle chair and the Plasma2 computer monitor and computer keyboard positioning unit combine new technology, thoughtful design, and precise comfort controls into an integrated computer workstation. The Plasma2™ System is ideal for any computer user mindful of functional comfort, proper back alignment, and wrist and lumbar support. Our computer chair, the Stance® angle chair, is made to complement any work environment, from a home office or cubicle to an executive office suite.

ZigBee "Panic Button" Calls For Help

Lusora has developed a nifty new twist on solving the "I've fallen and I can't get up" problem. The company rolled out its LISA pendant, and a series of monitors, which use the new Zigbee low-speed mesh network to provide security to elderly people who want to live at home, and their family.

The LISA system – which stands for Lusora Intelligent Sensory Architecture – includes a wearable pendant, an in-light switch video camera, sensors and receivers create a low-power home monitoring system that will help an aging population stay in their homes.

The pendant, which is worn around the neck, includes an array of accelerometers, buttons on the front and back, and a low-power Zigbee radio. If a rapid acceleration is detected (such as when someone falls over), or the two buttons are pressed in tandem, the pendant connects to an intelligent controller – which then contacts one of four alerting and monitoring companies, or contacts a family member directly.

Anatomy dictates efficency of underwater propulsion

"The biomechanics of diving mammals, whose bodies reflect their environment, offer lessons for human divers."

Diving mammals are able to propel themselves through the aquatic environment very efficiently. Humans can become good swimmers, but human swimming feats can hardly be compared with those of diving mammals. Techniques for surface swimming, without diving gear, and for breath-hold diving among humans are quite different than those of the mammalian breath-hold divers.
Movement through water requires a propulsion system and energy to drive the system. The mechanics of moving a body through water is achieved through the musculoskeletal system, with the skeleton providing the structural support and lever arms for muscle movement. The skeletal system is divided into two main sections, axial and appendicular.

The axial skeleton includes the bones in the center of the body, namely the spine, rib cage, and pelvis. The appendicular skeleton includes the bones that support the extremities. The anatomy of the axial and appendicular skeletal systems of diving mammals has advantages for movement as well as for heat and energy conservation in the aquatic environment.

Revisiting exercise and scoliosis management

"As physical therapists specializing in the treatment of spinal conditions, we were pleased to read a physiotherapeutic perspective on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis featured in the BioMechanics supplement, Scoliosis Management (September).

In the article by Richards and Cassella ('Exercising Options,' page 14), the authors review two studies that examined the effects of exercise and a complement of other interventions for the reduction of curve progression in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. An important omission from this brief overview is the work of Vert Mooney, MD, and colleagues who have demonstrated in two peer-reviewed articles the effectiveness of exercise in the management of the scoliotic adolescent.

Importantly, this research challenges the closing statements by Richards and Cassella in which the authors conclude, 'Existing evidence does not suggest that exercise alone can prevent curve progression in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Designing a study involving exercise alone, therefore, would be ethically questionable.' "

Braces' joint effects spur research surge

"How a joint articulates between bones has researchers and clinicians taking a closer look at the interdependence of joints in the context of bracing. The effect of ankle bracing on the knee, for example, has received the most attention in the literature.

Evidence suggests that ankle supports may transfer loads to other joints, putting them at risk for injury, according to a literature review by Brent Arnold, PhD, an associate professor of exercise science at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.

Conventionally aligned ankle foot orthoses increase demand on the knee extensor muscles that can be ameliorated by realigning a device to account for shoe heel height, according to a study at Northwestern University in Chicago."