Repetitive Strain Injury from Years off using Keyboard Mouse

[CFC]

I have got really bad repetitive strain injury from years off working with computers. My right hand and wrist has been sore for a few months but its got to the stage now were i can hardly move it. Am using my left hand to type and control mouse which is slow. Anyone had similar problem and got any advice, feedback appreciated.

[KhunBENQ]

I don't have it that bad and using a wrist pad helps combined with plenty of breaks/ moving around.
Your seat position/height play an important role.
The wrist should not bend upward.

The right chair with adjustable arm rest might help.

In your current situation you might need medical help.
Maybe the thread is such is better located in the health forum?

"Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)" seems to be the expert term.
Do some search and you find misc. hints how to prevent.

"computer mouse syndrome" also unveils some expert stuff to read.

[Sheryl]

Moved to health forum.

Wearing a wrist splint (can buy at Boots etc) and using an ergonomic mousepad may help, as may anti-inflammatories (provided you have no contraindications to them: do not take if gastritis, ulcers, bleeding disorder or on anticoagulant meds).

If possible, rest until the acute pain and stiffness sunsides

if these measurtes do nto suffice see a hand specialist.

[xylophone]

Had the same many years back, mainly due to my poor computer set up and one finger typing. Took a long time for the pain to ease as it was affecting everything from holding a pen to trying to eat with a knife and fork.

Saw a specialist and she was ok but it really was rest, anti inflammatories and physio which started to see it get better BUT even now, 17 years later I can only type for a few minutes with my right hand, BUT there is a solution which has been great for me..............I bought a voice recognition program, Dragon Naturally Speaking (by Nuance).

It is fabulous and takes about 20 mins to train and you just speak into the mic and the words appear, no typing! You can train it to recognise names, place names etc and it keeps on learning. Can't speak too highly of it.

I also learned to use my left hand for the mouse although commands can be undertaken using the software, thereby ensuring no overuse of the remaining good hand.....and of course I pay attention to the set up more closely now so my left hand doesn't suffer the same fate.

Google it and see what you think.

[rak sa_ngop]

Are you aggravating the situation by other activities such as lifting weights, cycling, playing racket sports, chopping firewood etc.? All these things have given me wrist problems at one time or another.

[CFC]

Thanks for the replies.

[clokwise]

Nearly 20 years ago I suddenly suffered from RSI, to the extent that I couldn't use my computer at all. It came as a real shock and I got quite depressed about it, especially since my job at the time was a computer programmer.

After several different forms of treatment all failed I was directed to a Chinese traditional osteopath who, over a course of just 6 weekly treatments, significantly reduced my pain and he also taught me how to treat myself in the future. I would add that a daily vitamin B6 supplement was quite helpful initially when the pain was at its worst, although there were some minor side effects.

Now, many years later, my RSI is gone completely, but through trial and error I've learned the best way to avoid RSI was learning how to mouse with my left hand (I still swap my mouse hand multiple times a day); I learned about proper keyboard / monitor / chair / desk placement; I learned to minimize my time at the computer (I moved to a management position and stopped writing code); and no more video games.

Best of luck - you will get better!!

[lujanit]

Maybe carpal tunnel syndrome. You can give yourself a Phalens sign test which may point you in the right direction. WebMD tells you how to do it.

[sabaijai]

I struggled with RSI pain and numbness from mouse and touchpad clicking for several months a few years ago. I went to see a specialist in Chiang Mai who prescribed oral ASAIDs and had me wear a wrist splint for a while. The ASAID capsules (Celebrex) helped relieve the symptoms temporarily, but the wrist splint did not help at all, in fact it seemed to make it worse.

I wasn't making much progress, even with lots of rest, until one day a friend who builds musical instruments from bamboo told me he suffered RSI from working with his hands long hours. He suggested I try massaging Thai boxing liniment (น้ำมันมวย naam-man muay) onto the affected and adjacent areas of my right hand. Over 10 days of using it regularly my RSI symtpoms abated and finally disappeared. Now whenever I start to feel the pain and numbness, I reach for the naam-man muay. And cut back on mouse use. It seems to do the trick, for me. I tried several other anti-inflammatory creams and ointments, but none seemed as effective as the Thai oil.

[kkerry]

I had the same forearm pain from using a computer. The doctor I saw prescribed Arcoxia for a week which within a day had reduced the pain by 50%. After the course ended, the pain was only ten percent of what it had been. I used a support bandage for about six months after which helped, along with some prescribed exercises and applied cold/hot packs. The other thing I did was to use a trackball mouse so I was using a slightly different arm movement. The Logitech M570 I purchased was about 1500 baht and it really helped me. I still swap between a standard mouse and the trackball if I feel any twinge of pain.

[Sheryl]

Posts have been removed in keeping with health forum rules:

"aggressive attempts to persuade other members to either adapt or abandon alternative vs. modern forms of treatment will not be permitted. Experience has shown that this invariably leads to arguments and flame fests that serve no useful purpose."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/224498-health-forum-rules/

[Shiver]

Not sure if this is the same thing, but I got pain around the wrist and near the elbow which appeared from nowhere in just a couple of days (34 years spending much of the day at a keyboard/mouse so far).

My GF started to massage my forearm, and I protested saying "no no no it's not a muscle thing, it's here and here". She ignored that and very quickly homed in a spot on the top of my forearm and pressed it - Wow! I leapt in pain "stop it stop it!".

After she'd gone I pressed gently on the same area, and it took very very little pressure to feel some fairly intense discomfort. I did it again the next day and it was diminished, and noticed that the original issue which I (perhaps mistakenly) took to be RSI practically vanished.

No discomfort at all now after just doing that twice for a few moments, and it hasn't returned. Why this happened I have no idea, and perhaps never will, but she has been taught by her grandmother a few tricks like that and I run at any suspicion that she's going to 'fix' an issue or squeeze a spot. I protest that it's way too strong (it is), but if you do it gently I can give feedback in a more constructive form than "Arrrghhh!".