Scrapbooking Advice - An Ergonomic Point

Scrapbooking advice covers the health issue of carpal tunnel syndrome as an issue with all work requiring excessive use of our hands. Having dealt with this health issue all of my life, as a part of scrapbooking advice regarding health and ergonomics, I felt this is worth addressing. We want to be able to enjoy our work and our play. This becomes difficult when we suffer pain throughout our body.

New scrapbook products are on the market all the time that make scrapbooking steps easier, such as the Crop-A-Dile for use with eyelets, and scrapbooking retreats are great places and events to attend to find these products and enjoy the craft at the same time.

Still, this is actually a common problem that is easily dealt with through proper posture and exercise practices. The following are tips for healthier scrapbooking.

1. Vary your tasks, taking breaks to increase work productivity. Set a timer on your break as a reminder not to go over. Rest, but stay focused.

2. Include simple stretching exercises into your crops. Work on building muscle groups that feel the effects of scrapbooking, like the shoulders and hands. I don't know how many times just sitting in one spot too long brought a real pain in the neck.

3. Using a tool that makes a project easier to accomplish should be done as often as possible.

4. When sitting, support the lower back with a lumbar pillow or rolled up towel.

5. Using a footrest or a phone book to keep knees at a 90 degree angle.

6. Don't strain your eyes by working in bad lighting situations. Use as much light as you require for your scrapbooking project.

7. Use different workstations for different tasks. Sit down to do precise work such as beading, and stand when doing force-intensive work, like punching or stamping, using the upper body more efficiently.

8. Scrapbooking tools and supplies you use often should be kept within arm's reach of where you are working.

9. Find you are seated in an awkward position? Re-orient your work to suit you whenever possible. Redesign the task to keep your body in a neutral position.

10. Work at forearm level to keep arms, neck and shoulders relaxed and wrists straight and neutral.

Ergonomics is good scrapbooking advice for scrapbookers and anyone who uses their hands, crafting and otherwise.

For further information regarding carpal tunnel syndrome, check out

This is an updated version of her original book titled "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Prevention and Treatment: A NonSurgical Drug Free Approach.

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