Just chatted with a geek friend who seems to think my irritated wrist and forearm is the beginning of carpal tunnel syndrome. I’m at the point where I can’t type or use the mouse at my computer at home (after doing so at work all day) for more than thirty minutes before my right wrist and forearm go numb and tingly. Considering my work, my computer hobbies, and my addiction to the internet, this is a really bad thing.
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Step away from the computer!
Also:
Get a wrist brace
Check on how you should be sitting while at the computer—I have noticed you do not have a wrist rest for either your keyboard nor your mouse. Those might also help.
But for the time, wrist brace and stretching exercises.
Hope it doesn’t get too bad. It could lead to needing surgery!
What helped me a million was not resting my wrists on anything at all, when I could get away with it. I found that happening to me a while back, and I tried all sorts of things… the one that helped was moving my keyboard to the very edge of the desk, so I couldn’t rest my wrists on anything.
I started having much milder symptoms some years back and a partial solution for me was learning to mouse with my left hand. There’s no way I can write with my left hand, but mousing takes significantly less control, at least for everyday browsing purposes. It took a fair amount (ok, a lot) of practice, but I am now able to mouse left-handed for pretty much everything. My right hand/arm then gets a lot more rest time, which has really helped. Not a total solution, obviously, but maybe someplace to start?
I second the wrist brace. I got carpal tunnel in my right hand/arm four years ago and used the brace and the numbness/tingly feelings went away. Of course this was after I spent $300-some on getting both my hands and arms tested with that taser-like shock thing and four trips to the doctor.
Knitting in that thing became kind of odd, but it definitely worked.
I had this problem a few years ago as well. A trackball mouse has saved my wrist. It got that I couldn’t even feel my pinky at the end of a normal workday. You’ll want to get a trackball that only requires your thumb to move it. It will take some time to get used to it, but you may come to find that you’re able to use it better than you could a regular mouse. Get a wrist brace (I used a bowler’s brace since the metal bar was on the top of the arm) and then put the mouse so that your elbow bends at a 90-degree angle and then your hand should sent comfortably on the mouse with the brace on. Good luck, Lauren, this is a scary thing to have happen. But you should be able to find something that will help you, just don’t expect quick recovery. I think it took about 2-3 months before I felt like I was back to normal.
I am feeling so guilty; the lovely work you did on my blog this past weekend can’t have helped! Rest!
Do not ignore this. Trust me on this - had a double case some years ago, which made it impossible for me to use a computer for about 6 months.
Basically, try to work out what you can do to reduce the strain (wrist braces are good) - also look into what type of mouse fits you the best, and what resting position you need for you arms/wrists - it’s different for everybody (e.g. I need a big mouse, as a small mouse puts to much strain on my hand). Some people alternate between the two hands while navigating the mouse, or switch to a track ball mouse.
Among my close friends, I think 4 of us have chronically problems with this (once you get it, it will re-occur, if you are not careful), so my advice is to avoid it at all costs.
You might also consider switching mouse hands. Doesn’t address the typing-induced strain, of course, but it will help alleviate some of the pain. It’s awkward at first, but you’ll adapt before long.
I hope you find some remedy, soon!
Been through this too - it sucks. Sleeping in a wrist brace will help and strangely enough, taking extra B vitamins can help. Everyone who suggests a trackball/pad and wrist-rest for your computer is so right! I had carpal tunnel issues years ago while working as a picture framer after breaking my wrist. It hasn’t recurred other than when I was pregnant, which is apparently a big-time additional cause. Wrist brace while sleeping is supposed to help a lot and did for me. (I haven’t needed to sleep in a brace in 15 years - it’s not a life sentence)
does your place of work have a workplace safety coordinator? somewhere in their file cabinets they’ll have a chart of stretching exercises you can do, chair adjustments, and other ergonomics. you should apply the same set of ergonomics at work and at home. (i am assuming you are working currently, forgive me if this is not so.)
STRETCHING EXERCISES. i cannot emphasize this strongly enough. for my brother it was the difference between healing it on its own, and major surgery. and naprosyn is pretty bad for the liver.
oh, and acupuncture. go for that too if you can.
Also, here’s a great stretching exercise I learned from my girlfriend - wall stretch. Good for the tendons and such, increases blood flow.
This is good break-reminder software, as is this.
/suggestions
I was getting carpal tunnel that caused me to wake up repeatedly throughout the night because of the pain in my hands/wrists/forearms, but now it’s totally gone. I got a mouse pad at work with a wrist rest, and that helped. (And incidentally, I came across these disturbing versions while looking for one for home too.) But what really helped was simply removing my keyboard from the drawer that pulls out under my desk and putting it on the desk. I liked the desk space that was freed up by having the keyboard on the pull-out drawer, but apparently the angle that it forced me to type at was the main cause of my wrist pain. So, also check the location/position of your keyboard and/or mouse.
Marc had it really bad when he was heavy into coding at work. He did get better, so there’s hope. I think sleeping in a wristbrace and not resting his wrists on anything was key.
For me, a change of posture, a wrist brace, and a break helped tons. Frequent breaks from typing, stretching, massage all helped.
Braces. Stretching. Breaks. Changes in position. And get some kind of squeezy thing.
It may not be carpal tunnel; that’s just one of the many things that can go wrong with the wrists and hands. I had a raging case of RSI in my first job, with the horrendous computer stations, so bad I couldn’t wear a watch because my wrist swelled up so much. But the good news is, if you take care of it, it can go away.