When I posted about my flare-up of repetitive strain injury, many folks said in the comment trails that they suffer from the same thing. So I decided to do my Thirteen this week on the subject and hopefully impart some helpful info.
Computer use and RSI often go hand in hand, but to quote an old adage: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
1. RSI is sometimes known as "cumulative trauma disorder" because it involves damage, that accumulates over time, to the soft tissues (tendons, nerves, and muscles) of your hands, wrists, and arms. RSI can also occur in the your shoulders, back and neck.
2. RSI is caused by (1) sitting, typing, and/or mousing positions which put unneccesary stress on your soft tissues and (2) lack of adequate rest or breaks.
3. Symptoms of RSI:
- Tightness, discomfort, stiffness, soreness or burning in the hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, or elbows
- Tingling, coldness, or numbness in the hands
- Clumsiness or loss of strength and coordination in the hands
- Pain that wakes you up at night
- Feeling a need to massage your hands, wrists, and arms
- Pain in the upper back, shoulders, or neck associated with using the computer.
4. While typing, don't rest your wrists on anything. Wrist rests are for when you are not typing. Wrists should be straight and level -- not bent up, bent down, or bent to the side.
5. And it's best, when you stop typing, to put your hands in your lap -- don't keep them on the keyboard.
6. Use a light touch on the keyboard. Yeah, that's one of my problems -- I'm a keyboard pounder.
7. When performing double-key tasks (CTRL-C, etc.), don't twist one hand into a pretzel. Use both hands for the operation.
8. Take lots and lots (and lots!) of breaks to stretch and relax. This is also one of my problems. I didn't do enough of that, and now... OUCH.
9. Hold the mouse with a light touch, not an iron grip. And keyboard shortcuts are best, as any pointing device (i.e., mouse, touchpad, trackball) carries risk of RSI symptoms.
10. Eliminate unnecessary computer useage. Yeah, right. I love to blog and I ain't gonna stop. But eliminate what you reasonably can, and don't push yourself too hard.
11. Keep your arms and hands warm. Cold muscles and tendons are at greater risk for injury.
12. Increase your font sizes where possible so you don't have to hunch to read text on your computer screen.
13. RSI is serious stuff: it's potentially disabling and life-altering. If you're experiencing pain, don't try to ignore it or just work through it. Do something about it now -- go to the doctor, learn as much as you can, change your habits. My RSI pain is somewhat better, but it's still there, and I'm having to be very, very careful and take it easy.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
30 comments:
This is great advice!
I don't have RSI yet, but I do most of the things you shouldn't. This is a great wake up call for me to be more careful so I don't end up with it.
Thanks for a really helpful list!
very helpful. I have some pain in my wrists occasionally, but it is not serious yet. i will be more careful in the future to rest my arms when not typing.
My TT is also posted.
Great tips for all of us! Thanks for sharing.
Take care of yourself
I was given a new mouse at work when the tech guys came and saw that I was using a wireless mouse from home. It helps to have two different types in avoiding RIS. Thanks for the hints, I will be more aware of my hands and wrists at work.
This is a terrific post. I always get tightness in my right neck/shoulder area. I know I should be more attentive but like you said, am I really going to give up going on the computer? Not! It's a challenge to find the right balance.
Thanks for the info. I'm a keyboard pounder too, and I'm guilty of #7.
Yikes! I'm sorry to read that you're suffering from RSI. Your TT post is informative and well-written as always. I am a keyboard pounder as well - although I find that my ibook has a bouncier keyboard so I experience less strain at home - than while I'm at work.
On another unrelated note: I was tagged twice today - so I decided to answer the tagging memes, plus do a linky love mush up ... and I tagged you. However, now that I read that you've recovering from RSI - note that it's not necessary to participate. Just wanted to share the love is all!
Take care, XINE
My son is on the computer constantly at work and at home. He just had thecarpal tunnel operation on his left hand 2 weeks ago. He said he couldn't go any longer with the pain.
Check out my TT.
Great advice. I'm sure I'm a prime candidate for RSI, but I usually blame the numbness in my fingers on the car accident I was in a few years back... granted, I'm pretty sure the numbness was there before then ;(
Good advice and a lot of things I didn't know. I am definitely starting to feel a little burning in my hands at night when I lie down, but I'm going to take more breaks, not rest hands on keyboards, etc.---I really APPRECIATE this post, seriously. My job depends on my being able to type.
Hmmm after reading this list, I think...I might be having it...
TFS...
All great advice, another good tip is to change over your mouse to the other hand and alternate. You can alter also alter the mouse buttons if you do change it over, and in some pc's you can actually hook up two mice, which is excellent if you do a lot of graphics as well as emails etc. We discovered this worked really well for our graphic designer at work, she used her dominant hand for more finally detailed work and then used the secondary mouse for things like opening and closing applications and emails. Can you tell I work in occ. health and safety? Says she, who is getting a callus on her right elbow from resting it on the desk at home while I read blogs!
Excellen list that we would do well to take note of. I once suffered from RSI after sitting at work day afer day holding a phone in my left hand, resting my elbow on a wooden chair arm for hours on end. It was not a pleasant experience.
i have pain in my knees and i think i may have to have that checked. this is good info. thanks! happy tt
I have LOTS of orthopedic issues, so I know your pain and discomfort pretty well. Take care of yourself and thanks for spreading the word. The more we can take care of ourselves, the better. We deserve it!
Happy TT, darling. I'm finally up after some technical issues.
This was a very informative post. I've been doing many of the things you pointed out that we shouldn't. Consequently, I have what I've been calling tendinitis in my left shoulder and it's started in my right. Sometimes, it wakes me and getting a top off over my head can be quite the painful struggle. I hope you don't mind, I'm going to put your suggestions into a file I can refer to. I've been ignoring this for too long.
I didn't know about that so it was interesting !
one of the best lifesavers i ever found was my cushioned mouse pad for drawing. I would rub my wrist bone raw until my office manager bought me that. I still get "claw hand" when i've gone too long drawing without taking a break.
I think I'm starting to develop some sensitivies. If I'm not working at the EDJ (computer programmer) I'm writing in my free time. Staying away from computer games helps me tremendously. The repetitive mouse movements in long gaming hours does a number on me, but typing with breaks doesn't seem to bother me. Great post, and happy TT! I hope you're feeling better.
Very informative - I'll probably need this in another 5 years for my wrists if I keep blogging at this pace! Happy TT13!
Sound advice.
I've a great incentive to type properly at work at the moment. The site next to where I work has serious construction work and you can feel the vibration through my desk if you touch it.
Oh yeah... I have it. They called it repetitive stress when I first started complaining of it. I've got it in my wrists, elbows and my knees are weakening. Course, since my mother has fibromyalgia, my brother has a connective tissue disorder and my daughter has one... I'm not surprised that my joints have issues. I've got CTS in my wrists, hopefully I won't need the surgery for a while.
Very cool. I totally learned something about something I have. I didn't know half that stuff. Awesome TT!!!!!!
What a helpful post! Even though some of those things I knew...I'm not good about following through. Should I print the list and post it by my computer, you think? Thanks for taking the time to put it together.
I did suffer from RSI before (my wrist hurt like crazy) and I hope you never have to suffer from it again, Thomma.
Hope you'll be well and kicking... I mean typing soon.
Take it easy with your RSI. Make sure to stretch and give yourself lots of breaks.
I have a lot of information too on things you can do to help yourself. Please let me know if it would be of use to you.
Thanks so much, everyone, for visiting and commenting! Happy TT and happy weekend to all, and I'm glad the list was helpful. :)
Excellent tips. I learned quite a bit about RSI when I developed it, although we call it OOS here (occupational overuse syndrome), however I didn't know that about those wrist rests.
I did a wee session on it for PEN, to a group of aspiring writers. My other tips are to rest your eyes by looking away at a distance and changing your focus every 20-30 mins. Also according to the therapist I went to you should stretch your wrists once or twice every hour, not just rest them.
Thanks, Talia, for your informative comment! And great advice about stretching our wrists. Certainly we writers and bloggers, like anyone who spends a lot of time on computers, have to be super-careful about preventing RSI / keeping it under control.
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