I'm typing one-handed!

[reddragdiva]

I'm getting RSI-like twinges in my right forearm. First time in a life of serious keyboard-bashing. So I've put my mouse on the left and reversed the buttons, and am keeping my right hand in my pocket to remind me not to use it. No photo sets for the foreseeable future, I'm afraid - I think it was yesterday's picture-beating (lots of hot mouse action) at a very badly set-up desk that set this one off. My back being particularly fucked of late just under the right shoulder blade really doesn't help.

Me with RSI ... it'd be like being struck dumb. Bah. I know many of you have had RSI to varying degrees. What did and do you do for and about it? (On a tip from aidan_skinner, I'm already using Workrave. And at the moment I feel like putting my right arm in a sling. Also, my back liked me a lot more after an evening of gotherobics at Dead & Buried on Friday!)

Of course, this happens in a week scheduled full of machine installations and grovelling under desks twiddling things ...

Comments

[adrasteah.livejournal.com]

I always type one-handed.
(and no sniggering in the back there)

You could try various keyboards which are supposed to be good for RSI.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_nicolai_/]

Try doing occasional stretching exercises; the canonical hands-behind-head executive stretch, or arms over head, or just get up and walk around for 5 minutes, or form your hands from fist to fingers outstretched to fist again gently a few times.
You might also find that the muscles in the top of your arms are extremely tense and stiff; try bending your wrist back and forth a bit gently to stretch them (I've had that, as have some friends; it's insidious)
Also, don't have tense shoulders and try to avoid cold places.
Besides, looking intently at the screen while bending your fingers and flexing your wrists can only enhance your reputation as a miracle-worker.
Nicolai

[androktone.livejournal.com]

when i started at atlas i developed a wierd muscle in my wrist which hurt all the time from typing.. different kinds of mouse, moving the keyboard around, changing the position i sit at (possibly to the detriment of my back) and exercises and stretches as mentioned above seemed to make it better, as it's gone now. My friend cassie had it very seriously and went through a year or so of physio which sorted it out - maybe you can find exercises on the nhs site? good luck. Its a scary thought not being able to type.

[blaadyblah.livejournal.com]

That right shoulder under the shoulder blade sounds worryingly familiar.
Big knot that feels like a golf ball in mine and burns hot when the shoulder is bad. Only thing I've found that helps in terms of sitting at the PC is trying to keep my upper arm reasonably close to my body rather than having it stretched out too far in front.
Other than that there's a couple of yoga excersises I was shown which have helped, and strong fingers can knead it down to almost nothing but it still comes back.
Get it looked at mate,(knowing full well this is going to get her a slap from gashinryu) your back isn't for messing with. If you leave it it will just get worse. Also fix the desk, if you know thats what the problem is, get it sorted.

[reddragdiva]

I have the knot under my right shoulder, but I've had that for twelve years, since I did my back in 1991 ...

Bah. New computer desk shopping this weekend!

Re:

[blaadyblah.livejournal.com]

Yep, mine cropped up following an injury six years ago but has got much worse since I got a computer three years ago. The desk doesn't help, its true - though I'm sure thats only half the problem, I blame the chair as much as anything ;) Now, if I just had a flatscreen monitor so I could have it directly in front of me... think I could get that on prescription? *wistful sigh* ;)

[oh-so-british.livejournal.com]

I've got RSI in my left wrist. It's on and off depending on how good I treat it.

At work I've got one of the funny ergonomically correct keyboard (swirly ones) but apparently they're not too much good if you don't touch type. But I dont' know how true that is as I touch type.

I use my other hand for my mouse, as you are doing.

I've started to recognise when it's flaring up so I'll stop and do some stretching exercises. Things like making a full circle with my wrist. For you you might want to try massaging where it hurts, and either ends of the muscle/ligaments.

HTH

[mr-tom.livejournal.com]

Go to the doc.

(Having spent 6 months with splints strapped to my wrists, I would recommend this course of action over all others)

Other good things are trackballs and ergonomic keyboards (which have the added benefit of keeping people off your machine), a decent chair, tubigrips, and foot rests. As you're quite a tall chap, I'd hazard a guess that your desk should probably be moved up a bit, to keep you from craning forward.

Don't get those padded wrist-rests. They're not worth the bother...

[reddragdiva]

Now all I need is a GP!

[mr-tom.livejournal.com]

You might be better off trying to get straight to an Occupational Therapist. GPs are pretty shit (IME) at dealing with this sort of thing, and kept me knocking around for ages before I got a referral...

[giolla.livejournal.com]

Or look at your benefits package.

[sys64738.livejournal.com]

Plug, plug, plug (http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/dasher).

No, it's not usable as a general text input mechanism for applications yet because X is BROKEN. 'tis being worked on.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

I am fortunate not to have had problems with typing as yet; I blame reasonably good posture combined with years of nagging from music teachers.

shevek had RSI very badly in 1999 and lost the use of both hands for about a month; it was several more months before he could type again. In his case back problems were at least partly to blame, and good chiropractic treatment combined with physio helped. He also wore braces on both wrists for some time, and/or wrapped them in bandages for extra support. Taking up fencing has helped him a lot as well as his posture is much better. He still has problems if he sits at the wrong height at the computer.

As you are quite tall you will probably need both your chair and your monitor to be considerably higher than they are; your forearms should be nearly horizontal or maybe even slanted downwards a bit with your wrists lower than your elbows. Try not to type with tense wrists, or with your wrists bent into any funny shapes. Elbows should be at your sides, not extended forward or backward, although putting them out to the sides a bit may be more comfortable and should not hurt anything. The monitor should be at a height where you can see it comfortably when sitting up straight - usually this means with the top of the screen at eye level. All of these are rough guidelines, of course; the most important thing is that you are sitting with good posture and comfort.

One thing that helps me with my back (be very, very careful the first few times you do this!) is to lean over as if I am going to touch my toes, and just hang like that for a bit, making a conscious effort to relax my back. Then I gradually uncurl myself, starting with engaging the muscles in the lower back and working my way up. It is useful for finding any knots, 'dead spots' or tense muscles in the back, and leaves me standing with pretty good posture as well. It is a bit of a bitch if you have short hamstrings but this improves with time.

Hope this helps.

[allezbleu.livejournal.com]

poopy! hope youre OK.

[artifx.livejournal.com]

warm your hands up and stretch them out every day before sitting down at the computer. no, EVERY DAY. it helps to do the stretching when they hurt, but it helps even more to do the stretching every day, and it only takes about 5-10 minutes. i have RSI in my thumbs and it is no fun at all. if it's particularly bad, i will sometimes wear splints at night to keep my hands in one position. also, i second the suggestions about making sure your desk is properly adjusted for your height.

hope you're feeling better!

[king-mob.livejournal.com]

Read this. (http://www.jwz.org/gruntle/wrists.html)

[arkady.livejournal.com]

I don't as a rule get RSI - but I do get rheumatism flareups in my hands and forearms from time to time; normally doing a lot of typing in a cold room, knitting/sewing for more than 3 hours at a stretch, more than 3 hours on guitar or 2 on violin/flute will cause it to flare up. It isn't helped by having poor circulation. If I've particularly overdone it, my hands will go into painful spasms.

For the hands, I found keeping them warm and wearing support gloves helps. If I'm practicing on an instrument, I make sure I'm playing in a warm room. If sewing or knitting, i take regular breaks. If typing, obviously it's important to have keyboard and mouse/trackerball at an ideal ergonomic height - ditto for the back - and I make sure there are no draughts playing around hand height.

If I've been having a lot of painful episodes but can't take time away from the computer (deadline to meet, project to finish, important IRC conversation that can't be interrupted ;-) etc), Ibuleve gel is good at relieving the pain (but don't take ibuprofen at the same time). Also try drinking ginger tea or, indeed, anything with ginger in - it does help improve circulation and ease painful joints. Sometimes I get short-term relief by soaking my hands for 10-15 minutes in blood-warm water.

Given your past history of back trouble, a good deep massage would probably also help. I wouldn't advise using a sling, as this will cause the muscles to stiffen - which will only exacerbate the problem.

Hope that helps; I'll see if I can think up any further suggestions.

[reddragdiva]

You can tell me further suggestions tomorrow, when I apply a strong muscle relaxant in suitable surroundings. Dev 6:30pm? See you there for sure!

[arkady.livejournal.com]

Depends how long it takes me to get there from Earl's Court - last-minute shift change means I'm doing the middle shift (12:30-6pm) instead of the early. And god I need the lie in...!!!

And you can admire the new improved blue hair.... ;-)

[reddragdiva]

Earl's Court is only about 35-40 minutes from the Dev, given that Knightsbridge is consistently 30.

I have the camera at work, ready to send back. And, GUESS WHAT, the fucker has started WORKING AGAIN. So I will endeavour to get pics!

(I guess I should put out the call for loaner cameras again ... I'm hurting without one. ins0uciance? I'll wear a skirt for you as often as possible!)

[arkady.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm guessing at a 6:45pm arrival - provided my relief turns up on time; still, it's Dave Piggott, and he's pretty consistantly reliable. Fingers crossed the Picc doesn't go tits up again...because if it does, I shall terrorise the Picc L/Cs until they get it working again!!

Nothing gets in the way of *pint*!!!!

[reddragdiva]

Damn right. I'll be there and defending seats viciously.

redcountess will be coming if she's up to it. *applause*

[sola.livejournal.com]

i don't quite have RSI yet, but i do have twinges, and they were getting pretty bad a while ago. if you're ready to look like a dork, i can highly recomend buying a kneeling-style chair. i don't know how anyone works in regular chairs anymore; i had one for years (which finally broke in half - erm, no more candy for me) and after having had that awful ikea bucket chair for a year and then re-replacing it with another kneeling chair.. i shit you not when i say i felt my spine and shoulders settling back into nature's intended positions within fifteen minutes.


since, as others have said, you're quite tall, you may end up spending a bit of money on it for a better-quality, more adjustable model ($200-$400 US), but it's certainly better than a thousand-dollar tradtional ergo chair, and no one will steal it.


plus a friend refers to mine as the 'blowjob chair'. apparently kneeling position +just the right height..

[arkady.livejournal.com]

Oh, those kneeling-chairs are an absolute godsend for bad backs and improving posture!! Unfortunately I don't have much space for one at present, but yes - I can recommend them. Very good for correcting posture and curvature of the spine.

[juliann.livejournal.com]

Since I feel like death not warmed over today I have not read the other 22 entries to see if this has been suggested. However as someone with wrist problems and finger problems, I can't afford to risk rsi on top of that. Two pieces of advice that have been life savers:

Get gel wrist rests, MOST ESPECIALLY FOR THE MOUSE. Buy them even if your work won't pay for them. When using a mouse I get a very sore wrist within 4 hours if I do not have a gel rest, but with a gel pad I don't get *any* wrist pain from mouse usage. Of course I have a trackball in bed (since mice + sheets = silly) so the issue is moot here but I still have the gel pads for the other puters here.

Use wheat or rice or flax or whatever bags, heated in microwave or oven, on your wrists. My best friend has rsi from hell and had to stop typing for almost a year and even now has to wear splints. But the wheat bags really help loosen up those tight tendons and stop the pain. Now you can't just go back to typing since the pain has stopped but it's better than popping pills all the time. Especially since paracetamol + alcohol = nasty liver damage. I know they don't say it on the paracetamol packages because they don't want you to avoid taking it so that you can drink but it's very very true (I've had the lecture a dozen times at least). So if you can use heat instead of pills, do so and then your liver worries are only alcohol related ;)

[reddragdiva]

My old work laptop had a trackpad. That was actually incredibly nice to use, and finegrained enough for photo editing as well. I'm tempted to track down a USB trackpad.

[rosefox]

I got a lot of good advice here. It's been two months and I'm well out of flare; I was on a cocktail of 6x daily glucosamine 1500mg, chondroitin 1200mg, vitamin C 500mg, ibuprofen 200mg, plus a nighttime dose of 60 mg zinc and 250 mg magnesium, a really powerful muscle-building combination. What helped the most was rest and stretching. Stretching for two minutes every hour sounds like a lot, and it's a pain to remember to do it, but on the days when I do it religiously I can really feel the difference. I do three stretches: fingers interlaced with palms turned out, pushing either forward or up; palms flat together with fingers pointing up (looks like I'm praying) and elbows out, pressing the heels of my hands together and down; and the same with hands rotated 180 degrees forward so that the fingers point down, pressing my hands together and up. I hold each for thirty seconds or so and then gently release.

Ice is good when it's hurting, especially at times when you're stressing the muscles (i.e. typing, writing, drawing) or right after. Proper posture and relaxed back and shoulders help a lot too. Rest helps most of all. Dictation software, cutting down on email and LJ, getting friends to wash your hair for you... whatever reduces the amount of time when your forearms are under tension or making repeated small motions. Even taking any opportunity to stop typing and let your arms hang at your sides, relaxing arms and shoulders and hands, will help. The more rest you get, though, the better you'll feel.

Good luck!

[giolla.livejournal.com]

and am keeping my right hand in my pocket to remind me not to use it...
I think it was yesterday's picture-beating
And you're sure the problems typing yes?

[damerell.livejournal.com]

I started to get twinges about 5 years ago. I still have twinges, but nothing more. I use a very squishy gel wrist-rest from Staples for the keyboard - I find mouse wrist-rests hideously uncomfortable, but as a UNIX weenie I never use the mouse except to play games. I'm fanatic about the wrist-rest - I have one at work and one at home, and I try to take one anywhere I expect to do more than 15 minutes' typing.

I also, at work, use xwrits for 2 minutes' rest every 20 minutes.

The doctor told me, essentially, that I'd have to stop using computers recreationally if I was going to work with them; but I decided, worst case, I'd keep doing it until I couldn't anymore, and at least squeeze an extra 6 months of normal life out of my arms; and this turned out to be OK in the end.