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Any ideas? Preferences? My hands/elbows scream out in pain, but they'd be happy to just mumble in gratitude.
Not sure if it is the magnets or my head, but my wrist pain has decreased dramatically in the past few months of using it.
Make sure that your arm and wrist are naturally aligned with your keyboard and mouse (horizontally). Sitting too high or too low will cause you to bend and/or tense up your wrist. If you are sitting at a position that stresses your wrist and arm at the computer, then pain is inevitable. Sitting at the proper height and angle will allow a relaxed wrist and arm.
Getting my wisdom teeth out has eliminated my almost daily headaches.
Having a more balanced life has settled my mind down a ton.
Its all about being in balance. I thought I could just tough it out for a few intense years where I knew I had to be on the computer a lot for work. My body broke down in year three of that, and I am 28.
Scary what no one teaches you about.
It does a take little while to get use to them though.
I've found that running a small "warm mist" humidifier close to my computer helps tremendously, as does getting away from the computer once in a while.
I try to exercise every day, spending time stretching - also found a website that lists hand exercises, which has helped with my hands.
Ergonomic keyboards are a big plus.
We've got two dogs, and that's a big help too... I might be busy and not want to take a break, but when the dogs know it's time for our daily run, they let me know it.
There used to be a show on PBS called "Sit and be Fit" - it was actually targeted at seniors and people with mobility issues, but it was a great program for us desk jockeys too.
It showed tons of excercises you could do right from your chair. Mostly stretches and light lifting, and other assorted non-aerobic excercises, but it was truly a genius show. I can still remember some of the excercises (haven't seen the show in years), and do a lot of them unconsciously as I'm sitting at the keyboard. Really helps to keep you limber and the blood flowing to all the right places.
If it's still on PBS, look it up and watch a few episodes. It's likely on DVD too. Failing all that, I'm sure there's some file-sharing freak out there who's digitized the entire series and made it available to all.
Ugh, I can't think of anything that would be more painful to me than bending over and scrubbing something. I know that was just an example, but if you think about it, all jobs require the use of your hands; and if they don't, they require standing or sitting for long periods of time. At home, I can take a day/week off if I want.
I guess I should clear something up - my Carpal Tunnel started when I was a kid, playing softball. Nobody knew what it was then, but I knew sometimes I had trouble gripping the bat...then it would go away for a long time. I was also in a car accident fifteen years ago, which gave me the sporadic neck/back problems. None of my problems actually started with the computer.
While I'm in a lot of pain right now, it's not a constant thing, so it's not like my life is hell. I do know that my life would be hell if I didn't remain self-employed -- employers don't want to hire someone who needs frequent breaks. Also, I LOVE LOVE LOVE working from home and couldn't bear the thought of working for someone else.
That said, I'll be starting an offline business next month, so that should vary my work schedule a bit. I'll also try modifying my work station...and getting a little exercise. In fact, I do feel better in the summer when I'm able to use the pool. Life has been hectic lately, so I'm sure that contributes to the pain.
I shouldn't have assumed. :)
I agree with most everything you said. It is true that most jobs require use of the hands. However, it has been my personal experience that computers are amongst the worst contributors to health problems. I never had hand problems even when doing *really* repetitive manual labor in a retail store. Again though, that's just my personal experience.
Health is so important - best of luck with your new venture. :)
Reading
It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! by Damany and Bellis
Recommended over Physical Therapy (which I tried and it was worthless and expensive)
Flextend (www.repetitive-strain.com)
Furniture/Accessories (even if only your hands hurt, it is probably from the way you type *and* the way you sit)
Albion StopNow! or another break reminder program--you should get up and stretch a few times an hour.
PM me if you want more info or recommendations... been through all this, heh. Good luck.
I just went to the website. Wow, how long did it take you to learn how to use the mouse?
I used an f-p mouse at a friend's house a couple of times. With the sewing machine background, I found I was able to manage pretty well in about 15 minutes. It IS different though! I don't know that it's so much different than learning a trackball really, though it's changing your reference from hands/fingers to feet.... I have trouble with trackballs and the tap/scroll pads like on my new laptop, though, and actually think I'd go first for the f-p mouse if I had to change....
One other thing about mousing. If you can use the scroll button as it's intended whenever the program you're in allows, you will save yourself some arm movement.... (says she who uses her scroll button only for double-clicking....)
One thing that really helped me in this thread was to just know that others are dealing with the similar issues of sitting at a computer for extended periods. While luckily I don't have many of these ailments, it helps to hear of them as it keeps me on the lookout for these creeping in.
Here is a bit of what I went through. I had terrible neck and back pains about 1 year and a half ago. I got the Herman Miller Aeron chair and it was pretty much solved. The pain in my neck (trapezius muscles) was caused because my old chair. My old chair had very poor arm supports that I never used. As a result of poor arm support, you start to use your neck and back muscles to hold up your arms.
I am pretty happy with the Aeron, I would recommend one that has lumbar support for the lower back. One thing I am not happy with the Aeron though is that arm supports are adjustable in their vertical height. Might be a nice feature but after time, the adjusted height slips and the arm supports keep needing re-adjustment. Annoying but overall, a good chair.
Some other things that helped me were adjusting my monitor height to eye level. I would not recommend using a laptop screen for extended periods. The biggest problem with laptop screens is that they force you to keep your head bent down.
The only major problem that seems to plague me right now is pain in the palm of my right hand (my mouse hand). I don't have any pain in my wrists, just my palm. I am guessing it is an alignment issue of sorts. Anyone have any thoughts or ideas about that?
My vote is for research into dictation software that actualy works.
Mack.
My friend is a professional potter who gets joint pain in her wrists and elbows from working at the wheel. She suggested taking glucosamine supplements, and THEY WORK!
Do all the regular ergonomic prevention stuff, get a good keyboard tray, watch your posture, lift the wrists... and get a bottle of glucosamine pills and take them regularly.
Not only will your wrists improve, but they also help with backaches, creaky joints, knee problems, etc.
another acquaintance, a die-hard jogger, pops glucosamine for her joints. She said that without glucosamine supplements her ankles and knees can't handle the workout, but with them she jogs regularly and stays quite fit.
I can't take glucosamine because I am allergic to shellfish, but MSM has worked wonders for me. Something else to try.
Last summer I started taking Glucosamine 500mg + MSM 500mg - three pills a day. And a 50mg soy isoflavone tablet - one a day. This winter I have NO PROBLEMS AT ALL with my hip - or really anywhere else. Which is good, considering my age....
I seriously doubt that such software will ever be fast enough to compete with my typing - and I'm not the best typer. It would take me forever to speak out a piece of code such as
$abc->bar = preg_replace("/([0-9a-z_]){1,3}/i", "$1 bla", $abc->bar);
But research never hurt anyone.
If you remember to streach your fingers, make a fist, streatch again, OK Im also doing sports 3 times a week and that dont hurt eather, you have to use your fingers and arms on other things and thats it.
Personaly I think there is no real mouse arm, it just a mater how you work with your muscles in that reigons.
I use Jack Dannyells medicine - which is just as good. However, it has rather bad side effects...
But I dont worry about pain - thats for sure!
That being said, there are people suffering from acute injuries, birth defects, and other issues. Those all require different solutions.
I think we should prevent all this, but for many of us it's too late. The following are my general recomendations based on my experience, not everything will work for everycase (some can be bad for some conditions):
- see a doctor, these problems can be very, very serious (and get cronic)
- exercise, exercise and exercise (this is the best prevention)
- take frecuent breaks, stand up, move, strech
- sit properly
- ergonomic keyboard (this solved one of my wrists)
- massage
- have another life
- try not to use a mouse ... it's a diabolic invention
Of course, every problem is different, some things might be good for some, but not for others.
As an example, I use a chainsaw for 6 hours, one day a week, nov-apr. It's great for my back and neck and even my wrists improve. I agree it doesn't sound as the best exercise for wrist problems, but in my case, it works and shows how important exercise is. I'm sure this would agravate other people's problems.
1. Get yourself a nice chair WITH ADJUSTABLE ARMRESTS. If your still work for someone else, and they don't provide that - negotiate it or quit, your health is worth much more than the money.
2. When you sit, your arms should be parallel to the floor and relaxed, your elbows on armrests. If your elbows are lower or higher than wrists, you are going to hurt yourself. Adjust armrests.
3. Sit comfortably. In a normal environment, after 8 hours of work you shouldn't feel pain in your arms, shoulders or neck. If you do - your workplace is not set up correctly. Resist the urge to punch your boss or office manager in the face when they tell you that it's how the cubicles where always set up - and quit.
4. Monitor - you should always sit in a comfortable distance from the monitor. It should be of a decent size, in this day and age it is UNACCEPTABLE if you work in front of something smaller than 17 inches. When you sit comfortably, with your arms parallel to the floor, your eyes should be in the center of the monitor, or a little lower than center. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, in my last 5-6 jobs I had to place those huge computer books (and sometimes specs too) underneath to raise the monitor.
5. Take frequent breaks. If your boss walks around the office to see if peons are at work - plain tell him to back off. In a normal work environment, you should take a break every hour. I was never able to do that, so try to do at least 3 longer ones, one before lunch, lunch, and one after. Go walk around the block, fresh air is good for ya. The best is to go to a gym at lunch, but I've only seen a hand-full of people who had guts to do this consistently.
Stop whining and blaming it all on a mouse, bad keyboard, busy schedule, deadlines, meetings and crap. It's YOUR health, no one else (besides maybe your spouse) cares about it.
Me - 11 years at it with no health issues, and counting.
Good luck.
ergonomic keyboard
dvorak keyboard
Thermoskin gloves
ergonomic chair coupled with Maltron keyboard
gel-filled mouse pad
put feet and legs in correct position
lift weights and get a massage
swap out mouse every 2 months
software that forces you to take a break
circulation excercise
reduce work load
clean toilets
track ball mouse
pen-shaped mouse
pace
go outside for a smoke
swim
magnetic wrist pad
proper alignment of wrist/keyboard
oversize wireless mouse
have your wisdom teeth pulled
get your life in balance
fingerweights
warm-mist humidifier
get two dogs
wintergreen, helichruisum, clove, peppermint oil concotion
beer
foot pedal mouse
use the mouse scroll button
dictation software
glucosamine
soy
granny's rheumatiz medicine
anaerobic exercise
use a chainsaw one day a week for 6 hours
stop whining
:)
