Are you, like me, spending a lot of time on the computer? And do you, like me, suffer from pains on the neck, back, shoulders and arms?

Well, you might consider getting an arm board.

According to a study published in the British Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, forearm support is an good preventive measure against musculoskeletal disorders of the upper body, and that the use of large arm boards significantly reduces neck and shoulder pain as well as hand, wrist and forearm pain.

"Based on these outcomes, employers should consider providing employees who use computers with appropriate forearm support," said lead author David Rempel, MD, MPH, director of the ergonomics program at San Francisco General Hospital and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

I have no idea how arm boards look like. In the absence of that, follow these ergonomic tasks to help relieve computer work-related pains:

• Take regular breaks.
• Maintain good posture.
• Adjust chair height such that your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Make sure mouse and keyboard are located within good reach.
• Adjust monitor height such that its center is about 15 degrees below your line of vision.

About the author: Ruth Schaffer is a Microbiologist by training and currently authors the Allergy and Biotechnology weblogs for Creative Weblogging. She is a mother to a bi-racial, bilingual, precocious 3-yr old.