but there is so much of it I barely know where to start. To make
matters worse I am working out of a hotel for the next few days, so
there is very little I can do to improve my desk situation.
I installed RSIWarrior which seems like it will be a big help and doing
various exercises for my forearms and wrists which also make me feel
better.
Anyone have any other good tips for how to reduce RSI exposure that fit
into a busy lifestyle?
--
Michael Hoffman
P.S. I've been reading 43Folders via Bloglines for some time, but this
is my first post to the discussion group.
If you've still got feeling, you're in a reasonable place. I ignored
the situation for most of 1994-1997 and I'm still paying for it now.
The simplest fix you can possibly make right now is to switch mousing
hands. I know that this sounds totally un-doable, but it really is.
There is a part of your brain that can "automatically" invert right and
left. Flip the mouse to the other side of your desk, then flip the
settings in your OS of choice so that the primary button is the other
button. Then just close your eyes and go.
This will actually work.
While you're doing that, take an NSAID like advil or aspirin - what
ever you can tolerate.
The longer term fix is like the old saw "Doc, it hurts when I do
this... Well then, don't do that". There is something you're doing
that is not compatible with your biomechanics. Think about the GTD
"mind like water" and figure out how to apply it to your work posture -
you shouldn't have to expend any effort to get your body into the right
position. Hold your hands in front of you, find the comfortable
position (first fingers and thumbs make a triangle with the thumbs
higher than the fingers) and find a way to work with your hands mostly
neutral like that.
If I were you, I'd avoid braces - they can cause atrophy in the
muscles.
You should be treating your hands the way an athlete treats his body -
they are your path to fortunes (at least if you're geek enough to read
43F via bloglines). Exercise those fingers, geeks should be able to do
finger tip push ups - you didn't hear stories about the steno pool
having issues - because they had to pound the living crap out of the
old manual typewriters.
Take breaks and get in the habit of keyboard shortcuts - mice are
slightly evil, trackpads less so.
I think that's all for now - if I think of more, I'll chime back in.
Jamie
Short form:
- mix it up
tasks (high typing/low typing), input devices, at computer/away
activities, etc.
- regular breaks
20 minutes max steady typing
drink more non-caffeinated liquids to help biologically enforce this
- set up a good workspace
pay special attention to keyboard & input device surface height
(I find hotel desks so much the wrong height that I'd be better
stealing the pillows off the bed and sitting on the floor to work)
Good luck!
Dinah
I'm also going to visit my physician as soon as I get home for a
referral to someone else.
--
Michael Hoffman
- An ergonomic keyboard. I like the ones that are split and raised in
the center. Just split doesn't help me as much. I really like the
ones that have the feet in the front to tip the whole keyboard back
(exactly the opposite from what most keyboards do) but they're harder
to find.
- Instead of a trackball, I switched to a pen tablet. Mainly because I
do at times need to do precision work (design and photo editing) and
because I really hate trackballs.
- When my hand does start bothering me, I use a fairly cheap
compression glove from the drugstore. It's not a brace, but it does
provide a little bit of extra support.
- Taking breaks. I just can't sit and type for 4 hour stretches like I
used to. Sometimes I even switch to a pen and paper.
Good luck! You're right to be concerned. I've seen people who have
had to resort to surgery for carpal tunnel. That's not pretty.
Jaclyn
Prevention (one guy's story):
http://www.concentric.net/~Ttwang/tech/carpel.htm
Exercises:
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_xwristte_art.htm
The best thing I've found that helps reduce the inflamation is ice. Get
an ice cube and massage your wrist with it until the ice cube has
melted. Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. Feels a lot better
afterwards...
HTH,
Rick
Dan
PS: And sometimes taking diclofenac or so for 3 days helps with the
inflammation as well. In my case I had a period of 2 years where taking
100mg diclo for 3 days would cure any symptoms and help me adjust my
habits - each "diclo treatment" was effective for about half a year, so
nothing problematic at all...
I collect specially for people who are suffering on RSI a weekley
updated RSI-Blog.
Some of it is in german and france, but the most links are in english
language. My wife have the same problems solved with an new ergonomic
desk, new keybord and special mouse equipment and last but not least
with a physician how practice very good acupuncture...
If you have more questions please feel free to write to
mailto:rsi...@burkhard-sellke.de. I'm usually to bussy to look into
this google group!
best wishes for your health and sorry for my bad english
Burkhard
I forget the RSI-blog-link http://www.burkhard-sellke.de/rsiblog.htm
There you'll find my complete email adress to - just click "über mich"
Burkhard
About 12 years ago, I developed bilateral RSI due to computer work and
couldn't use my hands for much of anything for 2 or 3 years. Through
therapy, retraining, and lots of good info from the sorehanders, I've
gotten much of my functioning back. A for fun typing test the other day
came out at 70 wpm. Not bad for a person who spent two years on voice
rec. software with a foot mouse.
The best advice I got is to make a game of doing everything with as
little effort and impact (no key banging) as possible.
ltg
Because of this I've compiled a pretty extensive list of things to do
to help alleviate pain, and have managed to continue playing and
working without too much discomfort.
- Take cod liver oil. This is an old musician's remedy that actually
works very well. I recommend buying it in capsules as it tastes like
ass, but after 2-3 weeks of consistent usage you should notice a
definite improvement in the level of pain. Obviously this isn't an
option if you're a vegetarian - can anyone recommend a good
vegetarian-friendly alternative? I seem to remember reading that flax
seed oil is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids.
- Take advantage of existing ergonomic hardware. My home setup includes
a Microsoft split keyboard (I just picked up the Natural Ergonomic
4000[1] which is awesome) and a Wacom tablet to replace a mouse. I've
tried trackballs but you can't design with a trackball (at least I
can't) and the tablet really makes a difference.
[1]:
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=043
- Microbreaks are your friend. If you work long hours, make sure you
take a minute or two break every 15 minutes, and get up and away from
the computer every 10 minutes each hour or two. I use an application
(AntiRSI for Mac OS X : http://antirsi.inhelsinki.nl/) to remind me to
stop and relax for a bit. This also really helps with eye and back
strain.
- As someone already mentioned, learning dvorak is a good way to reduce
keyboarding pain, but I personally don't have the time or inclination
to invest in that. It's a QWERTY world, after all. But I do know
friends who have done this and swear by it, so ymmv.
- Drink lots of water. I try to get in about 4-6 of the smaller bottles
of water a day (don't know how much that is) and that seems to help
wash out the other crap (namely caffeine) I induce in that can affect
RSI.
- Treat yourself to a deep tissue massage every month or two. Hell,
everyone should do this: it's good for stress, back and shoulder pain,
peace of mind, and it helps to keep your joints limber.
- Cultivate good sitting habits. Try to make sure you're sitting
properly and not slouching or sitting weirdly. This will help reduce
the strain on your arms, shoulders, and wrists.
Above all, listen to your body. If you start to feel pain, tingling, or
numbness in your wrists, arms, or shoulders, there's obviously an
issue. Stop what you're doing, get up, and get away from the computer
for a bit. Get outside for a quick walk around the building, or go and
hassle your co-workers with another homegrown raunchy limerick.
My pain was so bad for a while I was sure that I would have to quit
what I was doing and find a new career. By implementing all of this
(especially the raunchy limericks) I've managed to find a good balance
between being productive and keeping myself healthy.
Hell, you only have one body. It's not worth doing permanent damage to
yourself for the sake of a deadline, right?
I'm not a doctor, so I'm shouldn't attempt to justify any of this
beyond "it works for me". My RSI used to be so bad I could only work
15-20 minutes at a time before having to stop - the pain was
unbearable. Adopting all of this has made it possible for me to work.
That said, some of this is based on empirical evidence (good sitting
habits, using ergonomic equipment, omega-3's fatty acids). RSI stems
mostly from the body being held in an unnatural position for long
periods of time, so anything that can help body positioning and
circulation is a good thing (numbers 2,3a,3b,4,6, and 7). For example,
look at how you're holding a mouse the next time you're working. Most
people hold the mouse with their wrist turned so that the hand forms a
90 degree angle from the desk edge. This is an unnatural position.
I point out caffeine specifically because it's a diuretic, and because
it's scientifically proven to cause muscle tightness, cramping, and
dehydration in athletes[1]. Part of being limber is being fully
hydrated. That said, even with all of this implemented sitting at a
computer for long periods of time is fatiguing. Getting up for a break
once an hour or two helps to prevent this by relieving the tension of
sitting with one's arms in basically the same position for too long.
[1]: Just one of many references to caffeine and athletes:
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_caffeine_sma.htm
Sit in a chair and adjust it so that your knees are at a 90 degree
angle with your feet flat on the floor. Make sure the seat is not
putting pressure on the underside of your legs.
Put your arms at a 90 degree angle, close to your body. Let your hands
form a neutral position. This is where your keyboard should be. Go
buy a keyboard tray that will conform to this height and has negative
and positive tilt adjustment. They're expesnive, but so worth it.
Make sure the mouse surface can be reached with your arms in the 90
degree position. You should be mousing with your arm at the 90 degree
postion with motion pivoting at your shoulder. Don't plant your wrist.
Set your monitor so that your eyes are parallel with the top of the
screen. This helps your neck and back muscles.
Your goal is for your computing position to have no stressful
conditions. Your body's joints and muscles should feel relatively
relaxed.
Take breaks and strech often. Go do some yoga. Breath. We all need
to use the computer, we might as well not destroy our bodies doing it.
All these things work for me and were referred to me by my office
nurse. I work for a wonderful company that provides ergo assessments
and the tools for the job. They work great.