But it could also be the most helpful to me. Has anyone out there had problems with carpal tunnel syndrome from all the damn typing we do? Mine has gone from 0-60 in two weeks and is almost unbearable. I'm going in for acupuncture tomorrow, which helped several years ago, but would love any tips from people about what they do to keep their wrists healthy. Of course, this is all a huge cosmic joke for cheating my way through high school typing class.
1 week ago
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15 comments:
That picture is really disturbing. I sure hope the acupuncture helps.
CAM
I wear one of those weird brace-type things. I can't type with it on, but if I wear it to sleep I usually wake up feeling better. Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Thermoskin-Wrist-Carpal-Tunnel-Dorsal/dp/B0002IQRJ8
Sorry to hear you're hurting! Hope it helps.
Hey Josh, thanks! I'm going to go to the geriatric section of my drugstore right now to see if they have these in stock.
Josh, picturing you slipping into those gloves, cracking your knuckles, and tightening your head band before typing is bad ass! :-)
I think heat and then ice can sometimes help for pain, Christy. Other than that, my mom had surgery which really just made things worse. So hopefully THE GLOVE will help!!!!
Christy, I am a massage therapist so... as you already know, CTS is caused by inflammation from doing a particular task over and over. (Hmmm, typing??) ALL the muscles involved with that arm need to be STRETCHED on a regular basis. They need to stay soft, flexible, happy. Under our skin and surrounding all of our muscles is a bodystocking-like tissue called fascia that molds to the muscles. It keeps things in place kind of/sort of. It changes as we allow our body to change. Good or bad. You need to do some very simple and easy stretches on your forearm. They will probably be painful at first but after the fascia gets the idea to release, it's all good. The muscles will stretch and lengthen which will reduce the inflammation. Go to www.massagemag.com and look up articles on CTS. They should have some photos of techniques for you. Also, having someone really work on the muscles of your back, etc. will really help. Acupuncture is great. It was my life saver, but you have to stretch your forearms!!!
This is a VERY simplified explanation and by no means am I an expert, but it works.
Thank you so much, Deb! I just looked up some stretches and you're right - painful! I'll just try a bit more each time. ANYTHING to avoid surgery.
Suz - Sorry to hear your mom's CT got worse after surgery. That is my worst fear!
I just picked up my son from preschool with two new but mismatched wrist braces (like the store can't carry right and left in the same color/model?) and got a lot of pitiful looks!
I'm bracing and stretching from here on out...
I'm definitely one to suggest accupuncture and maybe massage. But I have the same problems as well. Plus I usually wake up in the middle of the night with my last three fingers numb...I hear that is a symptom as well?
PC - I wake up with numbness too! But only right before it gets really bad, as it is now. A few years go it got this bad and 3 sessions of acupuncture fixed it all up. I'm hoping the stretching, braces, and acupuncture will get me back on track. I must say, my new braces look ridiculous but feel divine!
Hey, who knows, maybe you'll start a new clothing trend and mismatched wrist braces will be all the rage!! :)
My mom had surgery for CTS on both wrists (a few years apart) many years ago. She hasn't had any problem since.
She wore the braces for a long time, as well. Hopefully you can get yours under control without surgery!
Where in the world did you find a picture of baby doll hands?
I had to wear a brace and go to physical therapy for a little while. It acts up, but I'm super obsessive about having an ergonomically correct working space. Makes a HUGE difference.
Hope those braces help. My index fingers turn all cold when I type, but there is no pain.
I'm no help at all with this comment, I realize, but I just had to give you props for symbolizing your pain with a plate of severed doll hands :-)
One time back when I was doing journalism I was doing a phone interview with Irish Folk singer Tommy Sands. He was really hard to get ahold of & I had a tight deadline. Not sure if you know that guy, but he's Irish & thus loves to talk. I was transcribing the interview while we talked and my hands went completely numb! I was mashing at the keyboard and flailing around trying to hit the keys while muttering "Mmm-hmm, mm-hmmm," and trying to keep him talking.
There is no exciting end to this story, other than that I had to rely on the old journalistic technique of "making shit up later" once my hands decided to work again.
Also, Suz: Don't forget to add to the picture the fact that I wear MC Hammer pants whilst typing. (Also how did you know I wear a headband?)
I used to be a medical transcriptionist. I typed sometimes 12 hours in a day, depending on how busy the docs were. Suffice it to say, I ended up with CPS. I tried to wear the braces, but I simply could not sleep in them. My doc said I wasn't bad enough to need surgery, and once I started teaching and writing just an hour or so a day, my symptoms went away. :)
If I ever up my game and actually commit and write 3-4 hours a day, I suspect I'll be in trouble again.
I have absolutely no advice for your poor hands and wrists, but I can offer sympathy and a compliment: I LOVED your post about cheating in your typing class. Don't you just love basking in self-deprecation? Ahhhh.
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