From the Scriptures

How good it is to give thanks to you, O Lord,
to sing in your honour, O Most High God,
to proclaim your constant love every morning
and your faithfulness every night

- Psalms 92: 1-2

YOUTH WORLD

The Two Foundations

Rev. Suresh Pawar. Chaplain, Religious Works Department

Scripture reference: St. Mathew 7:24-27
                             St. Luke 6: 47-49

Here is what our Lord is saying in this passage:

“ So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain poured down, the rivers overflowed, and the wind blew hard against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock.

“But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain poured down, the rivers overflowed, the wind blew hard against that house, and it fell. And what a terrible fall that was!” (St. Math. 7:24-27 from the Good News Edition)

This passage is a parable that our Lord Jesus taught His disciples. It is about ‘hearing’ and ‘doing’ His Word, which can be summed up as ‘obedience’. The example is given about two house builders who lay the foundation – one on the rock and the other on the sand. The one who laid his foundation on a rock was called the wise man and the other who laid his foundation on sand was called the foolish man respectively.

A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The house the builders are building in this parable refers to their lives. The main lesson Jesus is teaching here is the importance of ‘hearing’ His Word and ‘doing’ or ‘obeying’ them. The two ways of preservation and destruction are vividly portrayed.

The wise man:

• Builds his life (house) on a rock - on firm foundation i.e. on Jesus
• He not only just hears His Word but also obeys
• He need not worry about the storms of life
• His life will be unshaken
• He is secure now as on the day of judgment

The foolish man:

• Builds his life (house) on sand - shaky ground
• He only hears His Word and does not obey
• Looks for easy attractive ways, avoiding hard work
• He is not able to face the storms of life and is broken
• He fails to look beyond the present pleasures
• He is insecure now as on the day as judgment

  Obedience may not always be the easy way but is often the best way. Absolute obedience is required - not just a momentary decision to obey, but also a lifetime of doing it. The result is His promise - safety, no matter what storms we may have to face in life.

  Question: How are we building our lives? Are we building it on a firm foundation or are we building it on shaky ground?

“Happy is the man who sees not in the light of the moment but in the light of eternity”

Other Names for RSI

Cumulative Task Disorder (CTD)

Musculoskeletal Injuries (MSI)

Occupational Cervico Brachial Disorder (OCB)

Work related upper limb disorders (WRULD)

Work related musculo skeletal Disorders (WRMSD)

Repetitive Stress Syndrome/injury

Overuse Syndrome

Repetitive Motion disorder

Chronic Musculoskeletal
Injuries

Common RSI Conditions

Cervical Spondylosis

Tennis Elbow

Golfer’s Elbow

Frozen Shoulder

Periarthritis Shoulder

Low Back Pain

Osteoarthritis

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Tendonitis

Rotator Cuff Syndrome

Tenosynovitis

Trigger Finger

Trigger Thumb

Ergonomics:
It is the science of Fitting the job to the worker. RSI results when there is a mismatch between the job’s physical requirements and the physical capabilities of the worker.

Symptoms of the Backpack Syndrome:-

§   Pain in neck which may or may not radiate to the hands

§   Pain in shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, back.

§   Tenderness in any of the above areas

§   Sleeplessness / disturbed sleep due to pain.

§   Drooping Shoulders , Head forward , Hunched upper back.

Note: Younger children may not be able to report these symptoms and so the parents have to watch out for signs of discomfort.

What is RSI?
RSI is a term commonly used to describe a range of musculoskeletal injuries affecting the soft tissues of the neck, upper and lower back, chest, shoulders, upper limbs and occasionally the lower limbs. These injuries are caused by repetitively performing the same movements or tasks for a prolonged period and are therefore almost always occupational in origin.
RSI is not a medical condition by itself and the term does not lend itself readily to be used as a medical diagnosis. It is a term similar to ‘Sports Injury’, in that it describes how the injury was sustained but says nothing about the injury itself.

Who is Affected?

(1)   Computer Professionals

(2)   Typists: It has been estimated that a typing speed of 60 words a minute exerts 25 tons of pressure on the wrist each day.

(3)   Musicians: Pianists, Guitarists, Violinists, Percussionists

(4)   Athletes

(5)   Occupations combining force and repetitions

a.       Meat and Fish packing industries
b.      Use of vibration tools (jackhammers, chainsaws)
c.       Use of rifles (armed forces)
d.      Construction workers
e.       Garment and carpet manufacturers

(6)   Doctors and medical Workers:

a.       Dentists
b.      Surgeons
c.       Laboratory Technicians
d.      Physiotherapists

Computer Overuse Injuries:

The advance in the field of technology is not without side-effects. Today, in a world where computers rule, the most serious side-effect there can be, is RSI. The increasing popularity of call centers and BPOs has resulted in professionals being affected at very early stages in their careers. A study in Bangalore reports that the average age of affection is between 25-35 years of age.

Just as serious are the conditions; just so easy are the preventive aspects. These include: 

• Proper arrangement of monitor, keyboard, mouse, chair and other components in the workstation. 

• Correct desk and chair heights.

• Taking regular breaks in-between.

• Stretching at intervals to prevent complications.

• The right Posture – The ‘right angle rule’ – Feet flat on the ground and back straight and fully supported; the hips, knees, ankles and elbows at 90 degrees.

• Use of adaptive devices - 

  • Keyboards - split keyboards, wave type keyboards

  • Pointing devices - cordless mice, tracker balls, joysticks, sensitive mouse pads

• Others - foot pedals and touch-screen monitors.

WorkStation Ergonomics: A stroll through any software company would portray this picture – Rows of cubicles with men and women of different age, sizes and weights using desks and chairs of similar makes and sizes. Employers have the responsibility to plan workstations in such a way that the desks and chairs are fully adjustable to meet the physical requirements of each of their staff.

Text messaging injury: - 
Text messaging is on the rise. It is a cheap, convenient way to communicate. With mobile phones becoming trendier and smaller, tiny repetitive motions of the thumb cause friction in the joint area leading to pain and inflammation. With thousands of mobile phones being sold each day, this condition is on the rise. Service providers report that the average Indian male of 17-23 years sends at least 100 messages per day. WOMEN EVEN MORE….

Prevention

• Avoid texting using thumb alone. Newer phones come with optional QWERTY keyboard attachment facility and a few have in-built ones.

• Several mobile models come with software which allows lesser key strokes to type a word. Ex-T9 dictionary in Nokia mobile phones.

• Learn preventive stretches and exercises – contact a physiotherapist.

• Seek medical help as soon as you feel any pain or discomfort.

Gaming Injury:- 
The advance in the field of video gaming and hand-held video game consoles like Nintendo, x-box and playstations etc have resulted in many youngsters and even older people (post-retirement) reporting with serious RSI symptoms. Games in mobile phones also have done much harm in the name of entertainment.

Backpack Syndrome:- 
This is a musculoskeletal disorder resulting from carrying excessive and unbalanced loads in a Backpack. Mainly affected group are the school children. Also affected are photographers, college goers and IT professionals. 
The state of Kerala has banned students from carrying heavy backpacks in educational institutions, becoming not only the first state in India to do so but also the second in the world after California to take such a measure.

• The ideal weight to carry is:

• 5 to 8 yrs – less than 3 kgs.

• 9 to 12 yrs – less than 4 kgs.

• 13 to 16 yrs – less than 5 kgs.

• 17 yrs and above – less than 6 kgs.

Prevention: - 
Preventative action needs to be a joint effort by the government, educational institutions and parents. A few suggestions-

• Provision for lockers or storage spaces at schools to avoid carrying books daily

• Use of CD ROMs instead of bulky text books.

• Equal balancing of weights on both shoulders