ABSTRACT
Long-ago offices were known as “white-collar factories,” and they were considered a far safer alternative for the labor force at that time than working in manufacturing or as a laborer. After all, agrarian work involved using dangerous tools; the shipping industry entailed heavy lifting; railroad labor was rough and dirty; all are more treacherous than putting pen to paper. In the early days of office work, writing words and numbers by hand was the most common task-and one that carried with it a surprising risk of injury. Maintaining a firm grasp on a pen and guiding it ceaselessly in finely controlled motions over paper generates a repetitive strain of the musculoskeletal system that can cause repetitive strain injuries (RSIs). They called it writer’s cramp 300 years ago, and now we call it RSI; terminology may have changed, but it is as prevalent today as it was then.
