| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Make sure to take care of your hands, friends Thread poster: Anna Augustin
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| RSI and working sustainably as a translator | May 9, 2019 |
I've been working as a translator for 25 years and have had bout of RSI at regular intervals. Actually and somewhat surprisingly, acupuncture worked well in alleviating the pain. I also have a 20-minute shoulder-neck-arm massage done by a physiotherapist every 10-14 days, which also helps. And: I definitely pace myself better now than I used to. Sometimes I'm tempted to power through an assignment, but not if the price to be paid is being unable for work for the next 6 weeks. Not worth it. Nor d... See more I've been working as a translator for 25 years and have had bout of RSI at regular intervals. Actually and somewhat surprisingly, acupuncture worked well in alleviating the pain. I also have a 20-minute shoulder-neck-arm massage done by a physiotherapist every 10-14 days, which also helps. And: I definitely pace myself better now than I used to. Sometimes I'm tempted to power through an assignment, but not if the price to be paid is being unable for work for the next 6 weeks. Not worth it. Nor does it make sense to take anti-inflammatories at 11:00 in order to get through the working day. Something I also did regularly about 10 years ago. Seriously, not worth it. When doing Pilates or the like there are some positions that are painful for the wrists, but I usually persevere and find it helps in the long term. The only thing I've had to give up is playing the piano. I can play for about 30-40 mins but cannot practise meaningfully. It's either playing the piano or working. Simple as that. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Feldenkrais exercises | May 23, 2019 |
Great posting Anna. It's amazing how a lot of us desk workers never pay much attention to the health of our hands and arms in general. Perhaps this has been lost somewhere in the great sitting vs. standing desk debate, but it's not until you experience arm-related injuries and conditions that you really start paying attention to it. And there are m... See more Great posting Anna. It's amazing how a lot of us desk workers never pay much attention to the health of our hands and arms in general. Perhaps this has been lost somewhere in the great sitting vs. standing desk debate, but it's not until you experience arm-related injuries and conditions that you really start paying attention to it. And there are many of them, these injuries: http://ergonomictrends.com/types-of-wrist-movements-and-injuries/
I was caught in a similar situation as yours about three years ago. I started experiencing some sharp pains around the elbow area which didn't feel normal. I decided to seek professional help and it was diagnosed as cubital tunnel syndrome (https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/patient-guide/leaflets/files/5021Pcubital.pdf), most probably caused by excessive bending of the elbows while toiling away at the desk.
Luckily, it was arrested early before things got out of hand (no pun), and that's where my arm exercise routine stems from. Most of them are simple stretches that don't require one to go out of their way - which should be great news for those of us whom the idea of hitting the gym doesn't get us excited.
I would encourage anyone who does long hours on the computer to engage in these exercises on a regular. It can save you a lot down the line. Here are some to get started: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322593.php
Ta ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Lack of sensitivity on the right hand | Jan 21, 2022 |
Good morning, colleagues,
This is a very interesting thread. I have wondered that hands are one of the body parts that suffer the most because our job.
Several months ago, I woke up with a remarkable lack of sensitivity on the whole back of my right hand, the one I use the mouse with.
The syntoms persisted the whole day and, in the evening, I visited the doctor to know what the reason was and if I should stop working a couple of days or it was due to anothe... See more Good morning, colleagues,
This is a very interesting thread. I have wondered that hands are one of the body parts that suffer the most because our job.
Several months ago, I woke up with a remarkable lack of sensitivity on the whole back of my right hand, the one I use the mouse with.
The syntoms persisted the whole day and, in the evening, I visited the doctor to know what the reason was and if I should stop working a couple of days or it was due to another additional chronic disease I suffer from and I should go to the hospital.
It was the first time it happened to me and the single one until now.
According to the doctor, the reason was a bad ergonomics of my right hand's position while working. I tend to tense to much my right hand and to blend the hand up.
Best regards,
Jorge ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:17
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Don't type too much | Jan 21, 2022 |
Use dictation. It saved me from RSI. The RSI was getting serious with stabbing pains running all the way up my arm (the one I use for the mouse). I'm OK now, but attentive. I need my hands and arms to be in good condition because I also play the piano.
[Edited at 2022-01-21 13:08 GMT]
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Trackballs seem to cause less strain, but I don't know if it's subjective. I've only used trackballs as pointing devices the last 20 years or so and would not go back to a traditional mouse, which requires you to move your entire arm. A trackball only requires hand movement.
| | | | AnnaSCHTR 
United States
Local time: 02:17
English to Czech
+ ...
| Trackball and compression sleeve | Jan 21, 2022 |
I also use trackball and work on laptop so that I can take it to different places, from my writing desk to an armchair (or even the bed).
Another thing that helped me during the recent troubles with my wrist is something called a copper infused wrist support, like a short tight sleeve - I am not sure why it helps but it alleviates the pain.
However, after many years, the damage to my wrist seems to be permanent and it makes exercising really painful and difficult. As ... See more I also use trackball and work on laptop so that I can take it to different places, from my writing desk to an armchair (or even the bed).
Another thing that helped me during the recent troubles with my wrist is something called a copper infused wrist support, like a short tight sleeve - I am not sure why it helps but it alleviates the pain.
However, after many years, the damage to my wrist seems to be permanent and it makes exercising really painful and difficult. As my Russian grandmother used to say, aging is no joy. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Take care of your hands et al. | Jan 22, 2022 |
AnnaSCHTR wrote:
I also use trackball and work on laptop so that I can take it to different places, from my writing desk to an armchair (or even the bed).
Another thing that helped me during the recent troubles with my wrist is something called a copper infused wrist support, like a short tight sleeve - I am not sure why it helps but it alleviates the pain.
However, after many years, the damage to my wrist seems to be permanent and it makes exercising really painful and difficult. As my Russian grandmother used to say, aging is no joy.
I'm aware of the problem, my wife suffered from severe epicondylitis for some time; a doctor suggested a strap to be applied tightly over the elbow joint, that helped a lot.
Personally, I have typed on all sorts of keyboards for the last 45 years and never ever have suffered from any sort of strain. Luck, maybe, but I invested in an ergonomic office chair (Herman Miller) which costs "un bras" as we say in French, I have four different keyboards two of which are ergonomic keyboards allowing for the wrists to be correctly aligned, my forearms rest on the armrests of my chair and I have a cheap but quite effective mouse (Rapoo MT750S). I do not agree with those who say that you have to move your arm to move a traditional mouse, you just have to set the movement of the mouse right so that it covers the whole real estate of your desktop from bottom left to top right with just one movement of the wrist and without having to raise the arm from the armrest... and my desktop is made up of two monitors, 27" + 23". I do not like trackballs, the ones I tried out (a very long time ago) weren't precise enough for pointer positioning.
| | | | MollyRose
United States
Local time: 02:17
English to Spanish
+ ...
| vertical mouse | Jan 24, 2022 |
It has been said that using a vertical mouse puts your hand and wrist in a more natural position than a regular mouse. I searched a lot on the internet for one that could suit me, finally bought one (J-Tech Digital) which said it was for hands smaller than 5" (from wrist to tip of middle finger), but it was worse than my regular mouse. It was too big (my measurement is 5"), heavy, and clumsy.
Does anybody know of a good, vertical mouse for a small hand?
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