Ask HN: wrist pain • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: wrist pain

#11

Post by thalur » Wed, Nov 04, 2009, 8:08 PM UTC

jz wrote: post #8

About 4 years ago, I was 22 at the time, I started experiencing pain in my right wrist and forearm. Once the pain became unbearable, I started using the mouse with my left hand. Almost immediately I experienced pain in my left wrist and forearm. Initially I thought it was Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I went to physical therapy 3 times a week for about 6 months with little or no benefit. I started reading books on RSI, tri…

Thanks for that - I'll definitely give that book a look.

* Went from being able to work on a computer unbearably 35 hours a week to 70+ virtually pain free (when I worked for a YC startup)

That's definitely encouraging. At the moment I can manage about 40 hours a week. Any more than that (like I'm doing at the moment) and the pain comes back :(

Re: Ask HN: wrist pain

#12

Post by thalur » Wed, Nov 04, 2009, 8:18 PM UTC

cinkler wrote: post #10

In 2003 I started experiencing wrist pain when using mouse. As it became unbearable, this is what I did: - Went to see a doctor, without any results - Switched mouse from right to left hand. It took around 10 days to come to speed with left hand. - Right wrist continued to be painful as soon as I get a mouse with it. It took around 4 years to be able to take mouse with it without pain. Recently I started to use mouse…

When I tried switching the mouse to my left hand I just started getting pain in my left hand too! I found switching to a trackball mouse has helped a lot, as has using an ergonomic keyboard without a number pad on the right hand side. I use one of these at work: http://www.goldtouch.com/p-65-goldtouch-adjustable-keyboard-...

Re: Ask HN: wrist pain

#13

Post by iterationx » Wed, Nov 04, 2009, 9:00 PM UTC

make sure you don't bend your wrist when typing and you have proper keyboard form

Re: Ask HN: wrist pain

#14

Post by thinksketch » Wed, Nov 04, 2009, 9:10 PM UTC

I too developed really bad wrist pain - mine was from too much autocad and solidworks.

My secrets were to: 1. Use a good chair and keyboard tray. always. 2. train my left hand to mouse and switch off 3. use an upright mouse. http://www.evoluent.com/ It's a little expensive, but it's a good product. I now have one for each hand so i can switch off everyone once in a while. 4. Also - wean yourself off the little mouse scroll wheel. Use window zooming for cad and hold down the middle button to scroll on web pages.

Re: Ask HN: wrist pain

#15

Post by Mz » Thu, Nov 05, 2009, 12:19 AM UTC

I injured a great many tendons and ligaments in my dominant hand/arm/upper quadrant of my torso (right upper extremity) while taking tennis in college at age 19. I had crippling pain on and off for many years. I got quite good at mousing left-handed and did that any time my right hand was just not functional. With getting myself generally healthier, my tendon problems have also cleared up.

I did "feed" my tendons for some years by taking gelatin as a supplement. That helped but didn't cure the problem. I have concluded that that there is infection involved and that killing infection is essentially what resolved my problem. I now wipe my key board and mouse down with peroxide every single day at the start of the workday, in part to help keep this problem from coming back.

Re: Ask HN: wrist pain

#16

Post by hellotoby » Thu, Nov 05, 2009, 12:39 AM UTC

I have had a bone graft on my right wrist from an injury when I was younger and find using a mouse for long periods of time quite awkward.

The best solution I have found is to use a Wacom tablet instead of a mouse. Using a writing implement is far better for my wrist than anything else I have tried (wrist rests, trackball).