If you spend hours working at a computer, this article is for you. If you are like most students, as you focus on getting your assignments finished, you probably haven't worried about how you are sitting or the position of your hands. Listen up, then. Repetitive motions, improper workstation set-up and poor postural and work habits can all contribute to pain and injury.

Some easy adjustments can be made to your work/study area to make good posture easier to maintain and to decrease the risk of repetitive stress.

Your chair may need to be higher or the keyboard lower to allow your forearms to be parallel to the floor. If the seat height does not allow your feet to rest on the floor, use a footrest. A rolled up towel at the small of your back can be used to support your lower back.

Your computer monitor should be positioned so that you can look straight ahead at it. When you are looking at the center of the computer screen, your head and eyes should be tilted slightly downward.

Poor posture is a common cause of back, neck and shoulder pain. Your head and chest should be erect, shoulders should be back rather than slumped forward and your back should be straight. To maintain this proper posture, you should hold slight tension in your abdominal muscles and avoid increased tension in the upper or midback muscles. Your back should be supported against the chair and your feet should be flat on a solid surface.

Your hands should be flat and parallel to the keyboard and your wrists should be straight. Avoid bending the wrists sideways or up or down while typing.

If you have a wrist rest, use it only while taking short breaks from typing. Repetitive wrist motion, either side to side or up and down, is a common cause of problems in the forearms, which can be related to finger and hand symptoms, such as loss of strength, numbness and tingling. When you move the mouse, keep your wrist straight and use arm motions, not wrist motions. Do not rest your wrist on the mouse pad when mousing. Keep the mouse close to the keyboard and at the same height as the keyboard. Do not squeeze the mouse. When you are not mousing, do not rest your hand on the mouse.

Typing or mousing for long periods of time without a break can cause a repetitive strain injury over time. Keep track of time when you are working at the computer and take a two to three minute break every 30 minutes.

When you take a break, stand up from your chair and walk around. This is also a good time to stretch. Even if circumstances prevent you from following all of these tips (for example, you may be working in a Penn State computer lab or you are pulling an all-nighter using a friend's computer), try to remember the basics of good posture and the value of frequent breaks. If these suggestions don't alleviate your symptoms, contact a physician as soon as possible.