How not to get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Top 4. Mar 23, 2001 7:11 AM

» Kirk - Better Mouse

In response to message posted by Kirk:

I'd like to share what I have done for my RSI.

I work for myself and made my home office ergonically sound. I adjusted my table and chair heights as suggested in the book. I then built a monitor stand to get the monitors (I use two) at the right height. I then purchased a microsoft natural keyboard and optical mouse. MUCH pain in my wrist came from all the micro adjustments you have to do that is from having dusty mouseballs! Getting the Optical Mouse eased the pain a huge ammount and I know it works as I get pain much, much faster when work at friend's computers with the old fashioned type of mouse.

Here are links and pictures:

<img align=left src=http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00002JXBI.01.MZZZZZZZ.gif>Microsoft B75-00001 IntelliMouse Explorer (PS2/USB) (PC/Mac)
Review
Microsoft's new USB mouse, the IntelliMouse Explorer, is what we've recently come to expect from Micro-soft: It's a needlessly complex but otherwise terrific product. The IntelliMouse works like a traditional mouse, but without a mouse ball. These new rodents are optical, not mechanical; they determine motion by repeatedly imaging the surface they're sliding along and comparing successive frames. This fly-by-sight feature keeps the IntelliMouse from getting clogged the way mechanical mice do - there's no ball constantly shoving mousepad detritus up into the innards of the device.

<img align=left src=http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000JDFD.01.MZZZZZZZ.gif>Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite 2.0
Product Description
Wow! Who could believe typing could ever be so comfortable? With the Microsoft(r) Natural(r) Keyboard Elite, it's a natural. No wonder it's the single best selling ergonomic keyboard on the planet. Put your hands out and type. Naturally. That's the idea behind the Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite. It lets you work more comfortably by helping you type with your hands, wrists, and forearms in a more relaxed posture. Fits you, not the other way around. Bend your arms at the elbows and hold your hands straight out. See how your hands naturally position themselves at a slight inward angle toward each other? Notice how this angle matches the angle of the split-keypad on the Microsoft Natural Keyboard elite? That's no coincidence!

-- posted by Kirk

Top 5. Mar 23, 2001 8:45 AM

» Kirk - Re: Setting up the work station

In response to message posted by Kirk:

See message #1 in this thread for a great book on RSI.

In chapter 15, they discuss how to set up your workstation for best ergonomics. There is an excellent picture on how all the body mechanics should be aligned also (elbow geometry, eye level looking at monitor, etc.)

-- posted by Kirk

Top 6. Mar 23, 2001 2:00 PM

» biogardener - Thanks, Kirk!

Thanks for sharing your experience, Kirk. I am glad you remembered this discussion and added what is helping you. It is so important to find out what works for you. No one in my family is suffering from CTS, because we have all practiced preventive measures. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It is hard for use to imagine what the pain is like.

My husband set up his own work station ergonomically, but it isn't for me. I feel uncomfortable at his computer, and only use it when I absolutely have to. I am so used to organ and piano keyboards that I don't want one with a different alignment. I also like my chair the best. I bought it second-hand for $20 nineteen years ago. It was old then and it does not look any older now. It appears to be tailor-made for my body. I have sat in dozens of chairs since then, and none of them feel good to me after being spoiled by this one. More expensive is not necessarily better.

My back gets pretty sore whenever I play a pipe organ for any length of time, and when I sit in my office chair after that, all the tension vanishes. Like right now.

-- posted by biogardener

Top 7. Mar 28, 2001 9:34 AM

» Kirk - Helping others with RSI

RE: Re: Thanks, Kirk!

In response to message posted by biogardener:

Hi Traute

I acutally got an email from someone that lost a loved one to suicide from "fear of the unknown" due to RSI. She found my post here on your thread. I think we do real good talking about this stuff and helping others deal with it.

I switched my careers and manage my RSI quite well. I've bookmarked this page in case new people show up and post, perhaps I can help.

I have added some RSI books to my reading list here: http://pw2.netcom.com/~kirk_69/MyBookLis...
and I hope to add more books if people post about them here.

Cio!

-- posted by Kirk

Top 8. Mar 28, 2001 12:54 PM

» biogardener - make a webpage

Kirk, you need to put this information on a webpage and promote it through SiteAdd. Most of my readers come from search engines.

-- posted by biogardener

Top 9. Aug 30, 2001 4:21 PM

» jago64 - carpal tunnel syndrome experience

Hi, I've got an experience to relate.

Let me first give some background information about myself
I'm male, chinese, age 34 years and I'm from Singapore.
My work requires that I spend 4 to 5 five hours a day on a computer.
To keep myself fit, I cycle to work.
My trips on the bicycle amount to 30 minutes a day.
I also perform resistance exercises with middle To heavy weights for about 10 minutes a day.

At work, I use a digitiser (a pen-like devise which acts like a mouse).
My right middle finger operates a button on the digitiser to perform the functions
of "right-click"

The problem started with pain on my right middle finger.
The pain occurs occasionally when I attempt to curl my middle finger.
A week or so later, the same problem started a afflict the finger nearest my thumb.
Within another one to two weeks, I started to experience a fiery feeling in my fingers at night.
At this point, my wife suspecting that I have gout, adviced me to stop eating certain foods like soya,
legumes. I continued to consume fish and chicken for protein. I also took Danzen (NSAI) and celery
tablets to try to control the pain.

The steps I took did not help very much.
Fluid started to collect in my fingers during sleep. I needed to get up in the middle of the night
walk around, raise my hands and wriggle my fingers gently for 10 minutes. That would reduce the swelling
sufficiently for me to be able to close my fingers.

Over another week, the problem I described above started to appear on my left hand.

Desperate, I searched internet sites for answers. The condition that seemed to fit closest to my
experience is the carpal tunnel syndrome(cts). The possibility of permanent nerve damage from cts
prompted me to see a doctor.

Over at the clinic, I was asked to press my hands together with the palms facing either towards or
away from each other. There was no pain. The doctor concluded that while I don't have CTS, I
may have repetitive stress disorder of some form.

For a week after seeing the doctor, I tried to single out the activities that might be causing the problem.
I wondered if the shocks that transerse through my palm when I cycle were causing the problem.

To my relief, after I stopped cycling for about a week, the symptons have started to subside.
Last night for the first time in 3 weeks, I managed to get out of bed without experiencing pain in my fingers.

I hope to make a full recovery soon. In the mean time, I have subsituted road cycling with stationary cycling
and threadmill. Ultimately, I will return to road cycling after I fit shock aborbers on the bike.

Jason Chan
31 Aug 2001
email: greedyfred@hotmail.com

-- posted by jago64

Top 10. Aug 30, 2001 5:44 PM

» biogardener - RSI of finger

Jason, I hope that you can find out what you are doing when you are cycling which is causing the RSI. Cycling does not have to cause any injury. I have spent as much as all day long a week at a time on a bicycle without any negative effects. Maybe you can learn yo listen to your body better to see which muscles are not relaxed. Any tension can cause injury if it continues too long.

-- posted by biogardener

Top 11. Aug 31, 2001 12:38 PM

» marryhummingbird - Re: RSI of finger

In response to message posted by biogardener:

I have RSI caused from extended keyboarding. I am now in to my 5th month with this condition.
I do not have carpal tunnel syndrome. My condition is myofascial pain. When I was first injured the pain was so severe I would burst out crying because I couldn't get relief. I couldn't use my hands for anything. I had to put a sign on my computer telling me to keep off. I couldn't cook, hold books, clean house or work.
I have been for physio, on medications,given splints, seen 3 Dr's and am waitlisted to see a plastic surgeon.
I can see why someone would be in such despair that they might consider suicide. My condition is finally improving due to months of rest and the treatment of a Dr. of Traditional Chinese Medicine intern.
I also have fibromyalgia and a lot of people think my wrist and hand problem is related but it is something separate.
I agree with you that proper positioning, relaxation and frequent breaks are important to avoid these conditions.

-- posted by marryhummingbird

Top 12. Jan 14, 2002 4:02 AM

» biogardener - mouse too large

My new Dell computer came with a new model of Logitech mouse. We paid extra for it, because I refuse to use the uncomfortable Microsoft mouse which normally accompanies Dell computers. Unfortunately, the new Logitech mouse if too large for my small hand. My husband had to adapt the computer to accomodate my old Logitech mouse, and he is using the new large one. It is his first Logitech mouse, and he loves it.

-- posted by biogardener