It’s almost the 4th of July, and we’re all thinking about freedom {and hamburgers and hotdogs and swimming}. Anyway, this Independence Day why not treat yourself to a little freedom? You already have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but do you have ergonomic freedom?

Ergonomic freedom may seem a silly idea, but it just means the ability to adjust your equipment to your own needs and wants so that you can work more productively and with less strain.

A built-in, centered mouse can be crucial in achieving an ideal typing posture and maintaining better typing habits. The benefit to a split keyboard is that you can adjust it- you can either split the two halves or keep them together or change it up as you want. Adjustability is never a bad thing. [read more]

Though Emily’s focus on a “split” keyboard, may or may not be your thing (I’ve never used one, so can’t comment), the sentiment — freedom from pain — rings true.

What other steps might we take in that direction?

• Rest: Take advantage of the long weekend, and the extra day off work, to rest your body. That doesn’t mean doing nothing, but don’t perform activities that stress the limbs that bear the brunt of your work-day strain. For many of us, that would mean resting the hands, wrists, and arms by minimizing such things as computer use, video gaming, or using power tools.
• Exercise: As much as we need to rest the parts of our bodies that take a beating, it can be of great help to work out the parts that are little-used. Running, cycling, even a long walk can do wonders to get the heart rate up and refresh our spirits, even as the activity tires our bodies. A little sweat is a good thing (and a hot shower feels so nice after a hard workout)!
• Research ergonomic aids: Maybe Emily’s split keyboard is just the trick, or perhaps such things as ergonomic mice, ergonomic chairs, wrist braces, hand exercisers, or other products could do you some good. Research the options, read some reviews, and try products out at a local store if you can (or use an online retailer with a sensible return policy).
• Reduce Stress: Consider other sources of stress in your life that may be contributing to your pain. Perhaps spending some time with loved ones, an intimate evening with someone special, or simply dealing with long-delayed problems can make a significant difference in your life. After all, emotional stress can sometimes manifest itself as physical pain.

Hope you have a great weekend, and can take some positive steps towards freedom form RSI pain!

Wrist extension and flexion

When there is not a straight line from your elbow to your fingers, then your wrists don’t seem to be flat. They’re bent, in either a flexed position or an extended position. When the hands are moving downward, they’re flexed. When the hands are lifted up, they’re extended.

Repetitive Stress Injuries

When your wrists are kept in one position for too long, you’ll develop a Repetitive Stress Injury, or RSI. This can be sometimes caused by repetitive movements due to work or hobbies.

Your hand and forearm muscles are affected. And the surrounding structures, like your joints, connective tissue (fascia), and therefore the carpal tunnel in your wrist, can be shifted out of alignment.

When surrounding tissues are imbalanced, they restrict fascia, nerves, and blood flow. This results in your pain.

Stretches for natural pain relief

Certain, stretching will loosen muscles and fascia, relieving tension that causes you pain. But it is important to understand which stretches can facilitate, and that will hurt.

Extension movement commonly causes wrist pain and carpal tunnel symptoms. Typing, as an example, keeps your wrists slightly extended for long periods of time. This is additionally common with crafting and construction work. In time, the carpal tunnel shifts out of place, restricting nerves and alternative tissues. Ouch!

If prolonged wrist extension is causing your pain, then you wish to avoid extension stretches. There are 2 ‘unhealthy stretches’ that patients commonly follow, however mistakenly suppose they’re doing themselves sensible after they are, after all, doing additional harm. Here are the 2 extension stretches to avoid:

1. Reach one arm straight out in front of you. Flip your palm up, as if to inform someone ‘Stop!’ With the other hand, press against the fingertips, pulling them back toward the forearm.

2. Just like the first stretch, straighten an arm in front of you. Flip your arm over, therefore the hand is palm-side-up. Using the opposite hand, press against the fingers, pulling them downward toward the forearm.

Do you see how each of those put the wrist into further extension? If your problem were thanks to prolonged flexion, then these would be therapeutic. But carpal tunnel syndrome and wrist pain are additional commonly due to prolonged extension.

Till your orthopedist or physical therapist approves them, avoid wrist extension stretches. Instead, work on therapeutic exercises that relieve your pain and correct your imbalances.

About the Author:
Writers Cafe has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in Hand Wrist Pain, you can also check out his latest website about: Engagement Ring Mountings , which reviews and lists the best Engagement Ring Styles.

It is much easier to try and avoid the root causes than it is to adjust and recover once it’s too late, after all the repeat activity that’s causing the problem is no doubt a major part of your day-to-day working life. Often caused by being sat at a computer or workstation all day, here are some easy to follow tips to help you avoid the pain and impact of repetitive strain injury:

1. Move your working area around to suit your position and posture; don’t let it dictate how you arrange yourself.
2. Alter your equipment if it is not ergonomic! Don’t put up with it, replace it.
3. Make sure your posture is correct; an adjustable chair can definitely help. Although they are expensive they’re much less costly then a bad back and constant discomfort.
4. Make sure your desk is the right height for you and not your chair. Just heightening it with something under the legs or lowering it by shortening the legs with a saw will do if the desk isn’t adjustable itself.
5. Getting a fully adjustable keyboard will make a huge difference, once you try one you’ll realize!
6. Have a few different mice! If you rotate between the different designs will reduce repetitive movements. There are many different options including trackballs that take a bit of getting used to and vertical mice that reduce pronation and twisting of the wrist. Both will help avoid RSI.
7. Having a document holder at head height behind your keyboard and next to your monitor helps you keep your posture and your head upright.
8. Make sure your monitor is at the right height and distance for you, in line with your eye line and far enough away for your arms to be almost straight with a slight bend when typing. If using a laptop, try a stand.
9. Enquire about RSIGuard Software, it will give you essential information about how your everyday behaviour is damaging your wellbeing.
10. Don’t hang about! Your body will put up with the strain you put on it for quite a while but once it stops holding up, recovery can be long and painful.

Article by James H Hunt. For loads of news and information on health at work visit corporate healthcare specialist Benenden Healthcare’s website.

Those with mild symptoms may need only to take frequent breaks to rest their hands and/or apply cold packs to reduce occasional swelling. As symptoms increase or if these techniques fail to provide relief, wrist splinting such as you have used is an appropriate next step. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may offer relief by reducing swelling and pain. A final option is corticosteroid injections directly into the wrist to decrease inflammation. If the CTS is caused by an underlying health condition, treating that condition may result in lessened CTS symptoms.

The last resort is surgery, which does not work for everyone; however, about 70 percent of those who have undergone the carpal-tunnel-release procedure say they are completely or very satisfied with their results. Some may experience residual pain, numbness or weakness.

Speak with your physician regarding further treatment options, or request a referral to a specialist who can better help you.

Read more from The Spokesman-Review: Carpal tunnel treatments have uneven results

1. A carpal tunnel wrist brace or splint can be worn at night and during any activities during the day that may aggravate the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
2. Your doctor may subscribe anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS, such as Ibuprofen) to help with the pain.
3. Changing the activities that you do with your hand can help, as well. Although, if your job is typing or some other activity where you are using your wrists and hands a lot, this may not be an option. Generally speaking, you want to avoid holding your wrists in a downward bent position for long periods of time.
4. Some doctors advocate giving carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers corticosteroid shots to help relieve the pain. However, they are only temporary and the pain and other symptoms can return.
5. Add B6, Riboflavin and Biotin to your diet. Taking a supplement is the best way to do this. Just don’t take more than 100 milligrams of B6 without consulting your doctor. Too much B6 can make you sick — causing sensitivity to sunlight, a rash, and other nasty symptoms. Doctors aren’t quite sure what B6 does that helps carpal tunnel syndrome, but it is speculated that B6 acts as a diuretic causing the body to eliminate excess fluid. Whatever the reason, studies with animals have shown that B6 reduces pain, and patients who take it claim it works. Biotin and Riboflavin are also B vitamins and work synergistically with B6, so some doctors say you should take a supplement with all 3 in it.
6. Accupuncture is another natural treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome. Again, researchers aren’t exactly sure why it works, but some believe that acupuncture releases natural pain killing endorphins that help to relieve (and in some cases cure) carpal tunnel syndrome. In one study all of the people whose surgeries had failed to cure their carpal tunnel syndrome noticed marked improvements in their symptoms and pain.
7. There are a number of different yoga stretches that can help alleviate the symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. A number of these stretches include hand poses, but there are also some poses that stretch your back, spine, and shoulders which help as well. Here are some simple finger stretches you can try. Or, you could ask a partner to massage your hands for you.

There’s some good advice here, and some more solid information in the article itself. [read more]

I know just how that feels!

But on to the list:

10. Elevate your laptop to eye level
9. Mix up your positions with a standing desk
8. Get better sleep support
7. Invest in a real mouse and keyboard
6. Align yourself properly with your computer
5. Build your own ergonomic desk from scratch
4. Use exercises to ward off RSI
3. Fine-tune your desk spacing
2. Use software enforcers
1. Go easy on your eyes

Good suggestions all. Give ‘em a try so you don’t end up like that fellow in the illustration!

A lot of people on YouTube have reported success with David’s techniques…

1. Take periodic breaks
2. Take the time to compose your thoughts before working, to avoid unnecessary typing
3. Optimize your workstation
4. Watch your posture
5. Use proper typing technique
6. Pace yourself
7. Perform stretching exercises
8. Stretch frequently while working
9. If it hurts, stop!
10. Limit mouse usage
11. Don’t strain for hard-to-reach key combinations
12. Use two hand for keyboard combinations
13. Watch out for writer’s cramp when using a pen
14. Rest your elbows and wrists when not typing

It’s a good list. The tips, while familiar, are worth being reminded of. Be sure to read the full article, as kal goes into more detail for most of the tips.

I’d add two tips to the list: Use break-reminder software. Two, don’t ignore the program when it prompts you to take a break! (This is something I have problems with.)

Do you have any additional tips for RSI prevention?

The truth is, that as knitters, we spend hours repeating a small number of motions, so therefore are at risk of RSI; as is anyone who sews, crochets, plays a musical instrument or works on a computer.

RSI develops over time and its symptoms often come on gradually. Once you become aware of the symptoms there is another catch. Diagnosing RSI is difficult. Therefore we needs defensive tactics whether already a sufferer or just a concerned knitter. You can do many things to keep your symptoms in check or to prevent RSI:

• Take frequent breaks. Put down your needles and flex your hands, fingers, wrists, shoulders.
• Avoid marathon knitting sessions.
• Warm up! Stretch your hands before you knit.

Knitters can be at risk the moment they sit down. Many of us slouch, shoulders drooping and head bowed. Manipulating the needles forces the hands and elbows into an unnatural fixed position for long periods of time. The wrists are flexed up, stretching the tendons. The fingers and thumb exert pressure to hold needles and yarn. Passing the yarn over the needle involves repeated finger movements and the weight of the work in progress also drags on the wrists. Over time the rhythmic sequence of knitting and purling can pinch nerves and other soft tissues.

Basically, the RSI advice for knitters is the same advice computer users receive, since both activities have a lot in common.

Read more…

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) has become the common term for all manner of aches, pains and disorders, but it’s not always correct and can mean different things to different people. A better medical name for the whole group of conditions is ‘upper limb disorders’. Usually these disorders do not last, but in a few cases they may become persistent or even disabling.

Employers can avoid problems by good workplace design, to make sure staff can work comfortably, and that they take regular breaks from the workstation. Short and frequent breaks are thought to be more beneficial than longer, less frequent ones. Preventing upper limb disorders is easier than ever.

Limb complaints can arise from employees who use laptops and portable computers. Make sure are compact and easy to carry. Design features such as small keyboards can make prolonged use uncomfortable so consider advising staff to use a docking station.

If full-sized equipment is available advise staff to use it. Like other computer users, people who habitually use a portable should be trained how to minimise the risks. This includes sitting comfortably, angling the screen so it can be seen clearly with minimal reflections, and taking frequent breaks if work is prolonged. Wherever possible, portables should be placed on a solid surface—importantly this should be at the right height for the user to prevent back injuries.

In addition to the ergonomic considerations, the article recommends that companies conduct risk assessments for their workplaces, and take the health of their employees into consideration: “No matter what size of the business, all employers have Health and Safety obligations to ensure staff have a safe working environment. A small cost to seek advice could save you thousands in the long run from claims brought against the company. Good Health and Safety practice also increases productivity which will have an impact on bottom line profitability.”

How serious is your employer about workplace ergonomics?