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How I stopped the RSI pain that almost destroyed my programming career

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Re: How I stopped the RSI pain that almost destroyed my programming career

#61

Post by jcl »

The author's experience is consistent with my own... Most incidents of wrist/hand discomfort that I've experienced have started in cold or drafty environments. In these cases, I've found fingerless gloves have helped, as have breaks for walks and warm water rinses.

I'm certain that inadequate blood flow is a major contributor to RSI, and that's probably one reason that exercise seems to help so much. Unfortunately, I think, environmental temperature is often overlooked as a source, maybe because it can affect individuals in so many different ways (e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunting_reaction).

Re: How I stopped the RSI pain that almost destroyed my programming career

#62

Post by overcast »

This article is totally missing the basics. Exercise. I promise it will make ALL the difference. Get yourself a pull-up bar, and if you're feeling extra fancy, a dip bar.

Push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and sit-ups. Every day. You'll be a coding machine. At the VERY least, push-ups. Every hour or two, take a break, knock off ten push-ups, walk around a bit, get some water, get back to work. I'll do this right at the office, often in the server room.

A good chair helps, but all of this other nonsense is unnecessary. Exercise, and nutrition is the key to basically everything in life.

As mentioned below. SLEEP.

Re: How I stopped the RSI pain that almost destroyed my programming career

#63

Post by chx »

sova wrote: post #49
chx wrote: post #42

Go vertical, kids. For keyboard, I have used a Kinesis Freestyle w/ the Ascent explicitly designed for this purpose but now I just use the Matias Ergo Pro with some tripod parts to keep it vertical https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=79810.0 (since the pic I have changed a bit but nothing significant, I have these four parts now forming an adjustible, 12" long column: 1/4" to 3/8" male-male spigot, Manfrotto adjusti…

Never even considered going "vertical" for a keyboard. I wonder if a future laptop utilizing this would have a screen hugged by two keyboard-buns? Future tech sandwich.

I wish! But aside from the butterfly ThinkPad I am unaware of any laptop with moving parts keyboards.

Re: How I stopped the RSI pain that almost destroyed my programming career

#64

Post by SketchySeaBeast »

overcast wrote: post #34
AJ007 wrote: post #9

I've made a few extensive posts about this here before too. Had 24/7 RSI paint for years. At the worst I couldn't hold a mouse. Thousands of dollars of ergonomic chairs, keyboards, and so on made it so I could work but still had constant pain. Started doing pushups (which I had avoided because I thought they made it worse.) Four weeks later I was using a laptop and suddenly it hit me I had been typing for 30 minutes…

I've been saying this for years to my colleagues. Pushups is key to basic overall muscle health. A simple exercise, can be done anywhere, and works your entire body. You'll no longer have lower back pain either. Take a break every hour or so, bang out ten pushups, go get some water. Get back to work. No big deal.

I really don't think one can emphasize the health and life benefits of any sort of full-ish body strength training. I'm a huge proponent of full body movement based barbell training, but exactly like you said, pushups, pullups, that sort of thing makes every aspect of your life better. No one has ever regretted getting even a little bit stronger.

Re: How I stopped the RSI pain that almost destroyed my programming career

#65

Post by zitterbewegung »

overcast wrote: post #62

This article is totally missing the basics. Exercise. I promise it will make ALL the difference. Get yourself a pull-up bar, and if you're feeling extra fancy, a dip bar. Push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and sit-ups. Every day. You'll be a coding machine. At the VERY least, push-ups. Every hour or two, take a break, knock off ten push-ups, walk around a bit, get some water, get back to work. I'll do this right at the office…

Exercise has helped my back pain ( I exercise 3 times a week) and my wrist pain sometimes comes back but only if I have been playing video games in addition to coding for a full day. Even then its pretty rare now. I do use ergonomic mice and keyboard though.

Re: How I stopped the RSI pain that almost destroyed my programming career

#66

Post by ajkjk »

overcast wrote: post #62

This article is totally missing the basics. Exercise. I promise it will make ALL the difference. Get yourself a pull-up bar, and if you're feeling extra fancy, a dip bar. Push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and sit-ups. Every day. You'll be a coding machine. At the VERY least, push-ups. Every hour or two, take a break, knock off ten push-ups, walk around a bit, get some water, get back to work. I'll do this right at the office…

Your list has to include 'sleep' also. Then I agree with you.

Re: How I stopped the RSI pain that almost destroyed my programming career

#67

Post by overcast »

zitterbewegung wrote: post #65
overcast wrote: post #62

This article is totally missing the basics. Exercise. I promise it will make ALL the difference. Get yourself a pull-up bar, and if you're feeling extra fancy, a dip bar. Push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and sit-ups. Every day. You'll be a coding machine. At the VERY least, push-ups. Every hour or two, take a break, knock off ten push-ups, walk around a bit, get some water, get back to work. I'll do this right at the office…

Exercise has helped my back pain ( I exercise 3 times a week) and my wrist pain sometimes comes back but only if I have been playing video games in addition to coding for a full day. Even then its pretty rare now. I do use ergonomic mice and keyboard though.

Yes, no doubt the ergo stuff is good preventive measures. I don't skimp on cheap chairs, keyboard, mice or mattresses. Exercising for sure is helping you in every aspect of your life, not just sitting at the computer.

Re: How I stopped the RSI pain that almost destroyed my programming career

#68

Post by Chyzwar »

In my case weight of mouse is important. Light mouse is much better, cordless mouses with battery was killing my right hand. I got Mueller Wrist brace and it helped a lot when away from computer.

The worst thing are stupid standard desks. 75cm height with keyboard on top. At home I build my own desk with 80cm height and keyboard+mouse shelf.

Re: How I stopped the RSI pain that almost destroyed my programming career

#69

Post by merpnderp »

AJ007 wrote: post #9

I've made a few extensive posts about this here before too. Had 24/7 RSI paint for years. At the worst I couldn't hold a mouse. Thousands of dollars of ergonomic chairs, keyboards, and so on made it so I could work but still had constant pain. Started doing pushups (which I had avoided because I thought they made it worse.) Four weeks later I was using a laptop and suddenly it hit me I had been typing for 30 minutes…

Similar for me. I started getting hand and wrist pain and started simple forearm and wrist barbell exercises which worked quickly and effectively.

Re: How I stopped the RSI pain that almost destroyed my programming career

#70

Post by 0xfeba »

chx wrote: post #42

Go vertical, kids. For keyboard, I have used a Kinesis Freestyle w/ the Ascent explicitly designed for this purpose but now I just use the Matias Ergo Pro with some tripod parts to keep it vertical https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=79810.0 (since the pic I have changed a bit but nothing significant, I have these four parts now forming an adjustible, 12" long column: 1/4" to 3/8" male-male spigot, Manfrotto adjusti…

I've always wondered why they don't make keyboard halves that attach to arm rests on the typical office chair. So your arms are lowered for more blood flow, and the wrists and elbows in a more natural/neutral position. I'd buy it.

In the meantime, I have a MS "natural" keyboard, and a vertical mouse as well. Those have solved all my RSI/wrist pains.

Going back to flat or compact keyboards and horizontal mice is extremely annoying. Not just the muscle memory gap, but the positioning just feels wrong.

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