Typing in dvorak decreases finger movement significantly. I recommend it.
Doesn't work with Vim as well though.
I'm sure anyone with the thoughtfulness to enjoy reading Hacker News can think of a solution to the Dvorak/Vim integration problem :)
How I Cured my RSI Pain
21–30 of 78 posts
Re: How I Cured my RSI Pain
#22Typing in dvorak decreases finger movement significantly. I recommend it.
I second this. I had RSI and I found my fingers and wrists felt considerably less strained when touch typing on Dvorak than touch typing on Qwerty.
Re: How I Cured my RSI Pain
#23sacrifice of a few chickens will also help
Since it seems to be psychosomatic in origin, this sort of RSI is related to the placebo effect. It makes sense to me that it would be possible to overcome it with some sort of placebo. But I think tackling the underlying emotional issues is a better long-term solution.
Re: How I Cured my RSI Pain
#24If the author of this article is reading this : can you please provide a timeline of events?
Spreadsheet with column A = date, column B = event, column C = number of hours per day of typing at this point.
Events include {Started Acupuncture, Started using ergonomic product A, EtherPad acquired}, etc;
I wish to exclude these 2 possible reasons for the cure:
a) a simple reduction in the number of hours on the keyboard b) the acquisition of your start-up, which may have released a lot of mental stress
Re: How I Cured my RSI Pain
#25massage usually only provides a temporary benefit because it releases the tension in the muscles, but does nothing to keep it from returning.
The stiffness in muscles is ultimately caused by poor circulation through the muscle. The sarcomeres pump their own blood supply and if the demand is greater than the supply, the sarcomere can run out of energy in its contracted position.
This contraction shortens the entire muscles when many sarcomeres are affected. New blood cannot enter the sarcomeres until something pushes out the depleted blood.
Massage can do this, but massage will not correct the poor circulation that caused the stiffness to begin with.
And that circulation problem is usually caused muscle sheaths that have not been stretched frequently enough. The body's natural collagen deposition essentially gluing it to itself so that it cannot expand or stretch normally.
This creates a tight situation when you use the muscle inside of this sheath. The muscle is thicker when contracted and pushes out against this sheath. That creates pressure and blood takes the path of least resistance away from your tight muscle.
The tightness inside the muscle must be massaged and then the sheath must be manipulated and stretched. Otherwise, the sheath is too stiff due to the stiff, thick muscle inside it.
Further compounding the situation is the way tense muscles effect other muscles and spread the problem. Muscles work together and communicate that a load needs to be moved. A great system when things are healthy, but a permanent source of stress that will thwart efforts just limited to a muscle and its sheath.
Re: How I Cured my RSI Pain
#26I believe it. My dad had chronic lower back pain most of his later life and by no surprise, he also had high anxiety and stress. He read something similar about TMP about 15 years ago after tiring of pain killers, this was around the time he began studying Buddhism to help with stress. Ever since he's been in a lot better shape.
Re: How I Cured my RSI Pain
#27Im still sceptical :) Less, though, than when I opened the article; I have independently noticed my RSI worsens when stressed. Im not sure I buy the mumbo jumbo about the solution as much as I buy the explanation of why stress could affect it. I use a powerball daily which has really helped. Saw the same issues with massage that the article writer had (short term fix) but it feels really great so I stuck with that=.…
I think you're talking about the DynaFlex, which helped me quite a bit:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/6a4b/
Also the powerWeb and the wrist roller:
http://www.amazon.com/GoFit-GF-WFB-Wrist-Forearm-Blaster/dp/...
http://www.fitter1.com/Catalog/Category/35/HandWrist.aspx
Also, computer time means the smallest mouse i can find with decent action (Logitech, no model number I can find), and switching between Apple and Matias keyboards (short-travel and long, respectively) and carefully setting the tilt angle of the keyboard and height under heels of my hands (rolled up towel)
Re: How I Cured my RSI Pain
#28Im still sceptical :) Less, though, than when I opened the article; I have independently noticed my RSI worsens when stressed. Im not sure I buy the mumbo jumbo about the solution as much as I buy the explanation of why stress could affect it. I use a powerball daily which has really helped. Saw the same issues with massage that the article writer had (short term fix) but it feels really great so I stuck with that=.…
I think you're talking about the DynaFlex, which helped me quite a bit: http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/6a4b/ Also the powerWeb and the wrist roller: http://www.amazon.com/GoFit-GF-WFB-Wrist-Forearm-Blaster/dp/... http://www.fitter1.com/Catalog/Category/35/HandWrist.aspx Also, computer time means the smallest mouse i can find with decent action (Logitech, no model number I can find), and switching between…
Yeh that seems to be the one; they are just branded powerball over here.
Really therapeutic.
Re: How I Cured my RSI Pain
#29It doesn't surprise me. I know that I'm more likely to put my back out or pull a muscle when I'm stressed. I hold myself differently, and my movements are also less smooth.