RSI (Repeditive Strain Injury)
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G'day All, I was wondering how many of you suffer, or have suffered, from some form of RSI? Personally my right wrist gets sore when I type a lot and use a mouse, so I have moved the mouse to my left side and generally try not to be so reliant on my right hand. These simple measures have helped a fair amount; I probably should have gone to see a doctor, but I have heard that you really need to have a specialist - and then trying to get a specialist who is good! (Especially when I am based - Las Vegas!) I tried a wrist brace for a while, but that just appeared to make things worse. With the mouse usage, it appears to be double clicking which is the worst. Have fun, Paul Westcott.
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G'day All, I was wondering how many of you suffer, or have suffered, from some form of RSI? Personally my right wrist gets sore when I type a lot and use a mouse, so I have moved the mouse to my left side and generally try not to be so reliant on my right hand. These simple measures have helped a fair amount; I probably should have gone to see a doctor, but I have heard that you really need to have a specialist - and then trying to get a specialist who is good! (Especially when I am based - Las Vegas!) I tried a wrist brace for a while, but that just appeared to make things worse. With the mouse usage, it appears to be double clicking which is the worst. Have fun, Paul Westcott.
Here's a post of mine from a few weeks ago. I feel it's worth repeating since the Lounge has scrolled so much since then. ~~~~~ Does anyone have any advice for dealing with strain injuries/aches and pains obviously caused by a life at the keyboard? First, see a doctor to make sure the source of the pain isn't serious (like nerve damage, as someone mentioned below). The way to get yourself healthy again is to sit correctly. You should have a chair with padded arms. Rest your elbows (the sides of your elbows, not the points) on the arms and hold your hands out with your forearms parallel to the ground. See where your hands are? That's where the keyboard needs to be. If it's higher or lower, it's in the wrong position. A split keyboard (like the MS Natural keyboards) also helps keep your wrists straight. I learned all about this stuff after getting numbness in my left hand - turns out I had my keyboard _way_ too high and it was damaging a nerve or two. Once I got my desk set up right, it went away after 2-3 weeks. Unfortunately it seems like I'm really sensitive, after working for years in the wrong position, because if I sit at a desk that's not set up right, I feel it in my hands after about only an hour. --Mike-- http://home.inreach.com/mdunn/ "That probably would've sounded more commanding if I wasn't wearing my yummy sushi pajamas." --Buffy
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G'day All, I was wondering how many of you suffer, or have suffered, from some form of RSI? Personally my right wrist gets sore when I type a lot and use a mouse, so I have moved the mouse to my left side and generally try not to be so reliant on my right hand. These simple measures have helped a fair amount; I probably should have gone to see a doctor, but I have heard that you really need to have a specialist - and then trying to get a specialist who is good! (Especially when I am based - Las Vegas!) I tried a wrist brace for a while, but that just appeared to make things worse. With the mouse usage, it appears to be double clicking which is the worst. Have fun, Paul Westcott.
The answer below was to me, when I brought the subject up. I must admit that while I am working towards holding my hands in a more natural position while I type, I am yet to go to a quack, and continue to have a lot of pain in my shoulder & arm ( i.e. it hurts when I wash my hair ). I moved to full time programming six months ago, and continue to cling to the hope that it will go away with time..... Christian The content of this post is not necessarily the opinion of my yadda yadda yadda. To understand recursion, we must first understand recursion.
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The answer below was to me, when I brought the subject up. I must admit that while I am working towards holding my hands in a more natural position while I type, I am yet to go to a quack, and continue to have a lot of pain in my shoulder & arm ( i.e. it hurts when I wash my hair ). I moved to full time programming six months ago, and continue to cling to the hope that it will go away with time..... Christian The content of this post is not necessarily the opinion of my yadda yadda yadda. To understand recursion, we must first understand recursion.
Don't cling to that hope... Go see a specialist. I clinged on that hope and ended typing with one hand and having physical therapy for a month on the left elbow. And this is a mild case. Enjoy!!!:rolleyes: Alberto Gattegno Software Engineer http://www.itginc.com
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G'day All, I was wondering how many of you suffer, or have suffered, from some form of RSI? Personally my right wrist gets sore when I type a lot and use a mouse, so I have moved the mouse to my left side and generally try not to be so reliant on my right hand. These simple measures have helped a fair amount; I probably should have gone to see a doctor, but I have heard that you really need to have a specialist - and then trying to get a specialist who is good! (Especially when I am based - Las Vegas!) I tried a wrist brace for a while, but that just appeared to make things worse. With the mouse usage, it appears to be double clicking which is the worst. Have fun, Paul Westcott.
I had some trouble with my mouse hand, so I swapped over. I think it was partly the shape of the ms mouse. They falsely claim it's suitable for both left and right hand use, when it is obviously shaped for the right hand :mad: Another thing that seems to help is to let go of the mouse when you're not actually doing anything with it.
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Don't cling to that hope... Go see a specialist. I clinged on that hope and ended typing with one hand and having physical therapy for a month on the left elbow. And this is a mild case. Enjoy!!!:rolleyes: Alberto Gattegno Software Engineer http://www.itginc.com
HI, I answered a question on the 'chair thread' and 'musical instruments thread' about RSI before christmas. In 1994 I got very ill with RSI to the point that I couldn't drive a car (too painful, had to give up playing the guitar, holding a pint of beer required the use of both hands and was very painful. Both may hands were blue (due to lack of blood, due to messed up nervous system, due to poor posture). Its more complex than that, but I don't have the time here to explain fully. I saw a Harley Street specialist (private medicine) who put me in touch a physiotherapist that specialised in back and RSI problems. Without her help (and spending a fair bit of cash on the help) I would have been finished. Its no use waiting for the NHS (thats the state provided health care) - its too specialist an injury - by the time they could have got around to seeing (October, 10 months later) for a first appointment I would have lost my job and been on the way to losing my house. Get a split keyboard. You wrists should be straight from the sides and from above. The latter is simply not possible with a non-split keyboard. Get a decent chair. In the UK its illegal for your employer not to provide you with one, since Jan 1 1996 (might be 1995, I forget). Go and see a specialist. The problem will not go away without you adjusting your posture to one that is less damaging. Adjusting your posture may involve simply rearranging your workplace, or, as in may case, also adjusting the way you do things. Simple things, like sitting, standing, walking, what musical instruments you choose not to play anymore, which ones you may decide can replace (I gave up guitar, but now play mandolin and spanish bagpipes). If your employer won't pay for the chair, then buy it yourself. Same with the health care. Then leave/sue that employer and take the chair with you. The cash you spend in the short term will keep your career alive. Here are some links to very good chair providers. They are not cheap. YOu don't need to spend this much, but your chair should be able to all the things these do, including the tilting seat pan. Also the seat pan depth, should be the same length as your thigh + the width of 4 fingers. That way you'll avoid getting a chair that is too deep of shallow. Do the measurement with you sitting in the chair. You should be able to get 4 fingers between the front of the chair and the back of your calf/knee joint. www.posturite.co.uk (very good animation here, showing much of what I've said abo
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G'day All, I was wondering how many of you suffer, or have suffered, from some form of RSI? Personally my right wrist gets sore when I type a lot and use a mouse, so I have moved the mouse to my left side and generally try not to be so reliant on my right hand. These simple measures have helped a fair amount; I probably should have gone to see a doctor, but I have heard that you really need to have a specialist - and then trying to get a specialist who is good! (Especially when I am based - Las Vegas!) I tried a wrist brace for a while, but that just appeared to make things worse. With the mouse usage, it appears to be double clicking which is the worst. Have fun, Paul Westcott.
First, I had wrist problems, but they disappeared ( after changing my ‘mouse hand’ ). Now it’s my lower back and neck. ( cheap chairs ?? ) The trick is to move ( and stretch ) every half hour or so, but when the concentration level is at its peak – as they say - , I tend to forget this simple rule, ... and so I end up regretting it in the evening / at night / in the morning. I work out ( fitness ) almost 10 years now and I just wonder why my 100 Kilo bench press doesn’t do miracles for my back. ;) As for double-clicking, if I ever get Parkinson ( and I sincerely hope never ) , I guess the User Interface principles have changed by then, so I can mumble to my PC ( It doesn’t even have to be L&H software ) and get a soar throat of repeating myself over and over again. Just imagine talking your computer into writing a recursive c++ function with a multiple condition loop. :eek: -------------------------------------------------- If my messages appear curt, I apologize. I try to be brief to save your time as well as mine. --------------------------------------------------
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First, I had wrist problems, but they disappeared ( after changing my ‘mouse hand’ ). Now it’s my lower back and neck. ( cheap chairs ?? ) The trick is to move ( and stretch ) every half hour or so, but when the concentration level is at its peak – as they say - , I tend to forget this simple rule, ... and so I end up regretting it in the evening / at night / in the morning. I work out ( fitness ) almost 10 years now and I just wonder why my 100 Kilo bench press doesn’t do miracles for my back. ;) As for double-clicking, if I ever get Parkinson ( and I sincerely hope never ) , I guess the User Interface principles have changed by then, so I can mumble to my PC ( It doesn’t even have to be L&H software ) and get a soar throat of repeating myself over and over again. Just imagine talking your computer into writing a recursive c++ function with a multiple condition loop. :eek: -------------------------------------------------- If my messages appear curt, I apologize. I try to be brief to save your time as well as mine. --------------------------------------------------
Bench Press - compression. Your back problems, sitting etc, also caused by compression. Get a physio, not a sports coach, to show you some suitable stretchs. Get him/her to teach you the stretchs so that you don't need to go back. Guys, simply swapping your mouse hands, or worse, swapping much of your work to your other arm, will if you are not careful damage your non-dominant arm more than your current dominant (ie; right if you are right handed) arm is damaged. I use my mouse with both hands (but thats coz I burnt my right hand in 1990 and had to use my left hand for two weeks, I still shave left handed...). Simply put, you've probably spent the last 20 or more years mainly using one arm, it has developed very differently to the other arm, even if you don't think it has. Swapping the load to the other arm, without addressing the posture problems you probably have is simply delaying the problem. Stephen Kellett
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G'day All, I was wondering how many of you suffer, or have suffered, from some form of RSI? Personally my right wrist gets sore when I type a lot and use a mouse, so I have moved the mouse to my left side and generally try not to be so reliant on my right hand. These simple measures have helped a fair amount; I probably should have gone to see a doctor, but I have heard that you really need to have a specialist - and then trying to get a specialist who is good! (Especially when I am based - Las Vegas!) I tried a wrist brace for a while, but that just appeared to make things worse. With the mouse usage, it appears to be double clicking which is the worst. Have fun, Paul Westcott.
I did for a while - four things helped me: 1. Got a mouse mat with a raised wristrest. My current mousemat (made by Fellowes here in the uk) has a wristrest which moves around with the mouse, so my movement comes from the shoulder & elbow, not the wrist 2. Got an intellimouse & programmed the middle (wheel) button press to act like a double-click 3. Got a natural keyboard 4. Started Alexander Technique to learn how to use my body correctly