231–240 of 398 posts
In a real Healthcare system, a second opinion doesn't require the consent of your doctor. It is despite them, not at their descretion.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
As someone whose had RSI for about 6 years and managed it well enough for work; bouldering would be literally impossible for me. Microsoft split keyboard, footrest and proper chair with adjustable armrests allow me to work with minimal pain, and I work long/after hours frequently. Prior to sorting out that setup I took a month of work because I was in so much pain, which returned as soon as I returned to work (withou…
I had mild pain in my wrists in the late 90's I switched to ergonomic keyboard, got a good office chair, and switched to Dvorak layout. I did this for my work and home environment. One additional step I had to take. I removed they armrests from each chair and have continued to do so with all chairs. I found myself leaning into the armrests too much to the extent of causing abrasions on my elbows. With removal of the…
I really like this because I took an alternative option. I decided "home row" thinking was too confining when writing code (I probably write more scripts), and I can't think as fast as I can type with that sort of approach. My colleagues call me a "hunt and pecker," while I actually simply refuse the home row. Muscle memory is quite odd and can be cultivated to encourage less repetition.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Better solution is to ditch the single-block-style keyboard and get a proper ergonomic one that's split into two parts. That allows you to keep your wrists at a natural angle but you also need to change the layout to use columnar staggering so the fingers are only moving vertically. There's many things wrong with traditional keyboards and many solutions that I could write for years about. This one's mine and is focus…
That's a really interesting keyboard! I think I've seen one or two like it at the office - I will have to take a closer look. It wouldn't work for me, because as I mentioned in another comment I am a TrackPoint fanatic. I've used ThinkPads for 20 years and even have a USB ThinkPad keyboard on my desktop at work. But thank you for mentioning this option - everyone has different needs and I'm sure this will be very hel…
What worked for me is: - First stabilising by avoiding all unnecessary usage - Avoid wrist straps, they make it worse because your muscles will atrophy - Learn stretching and strengthening exercises from a physio - Use a Kinesis Advantage and a trackball - Avoid pronation - Start rock climbing, to make my arms/wrists strong Since then, I rarely have pain. You can get short term relief from dunking your wrists in ice…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Definitely interested. I’ll check it out. Same boat, software engineer, my index and middle finger main knuckles on both hands inflame from the slightest use even after years of therapy, doctors visits, etc. Also tendinitis in both elbows/arms. Note to those who are pushing off fixing your ergonomics, don’t. If you feel pain, numbing, tingling; do not ignore it. Listen to your body, don’t be like me.
For those in this thread, try mechanical keyboards without much actuation force, like Cherry MX clear. Also try programmable keyboards or custom keymap layouts, which will allow you to map Return to the caps lock key to balance RSI a bit. I have issues with my right index which I almost completely blame on Diablo 1/2, swapping left + right click helps a lot. I’ve also tried and wouldn’t recommend: Dvorak (no noticeab…
My career in Software would be over if it wasn't for voicecode.io and now Talon. I go through periods where typing does not bother me at all and long periods of intense random pain in forearms, wrists, palms and top of my hands. Certain aspects of controlling your computer by voice are way more efficient than using a keyboard, others not so much. Lucky for me using a mouse does not bother me that much so I continue t…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I used to get RSI on my mouse hand. Switching to a thumb trackball https://www.logitech.com/en-ca/product/wireless-trackball-m5... resolved it immediately. My wrist is in a natural position, and the only thing that moves is the thumb. It was surprisingly easy to get used to. I initially didn't think I'd use it for gaming, but that turned out to be not a problem - once you're used to it it's just as effective.
Have you tried just a straight trackball? I switched to a trackball for rsi, and it helped. But I’m curious if a thumb trackball would be better.
Unfortunately, there's not a great out-of-the-box solution and there are several tools in there that still "compete" in some sense. But, at least they're all centrally located and devs from the various projects bounce ideas off each other. Each of the devs is very responsive and will help you get started. Pull requests are always welcomed, but even just suggestions for overall improvements are well-received.
Whether due to genetics or environment, an injury/condition can be annoying enough. Having it also potentially compromise your source of income is just additional stress. I won't say dictation is a silver bullet, but it really helped me out. Hopefully it can help you out as well.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have questions, need help getting started, or want to get involved.
This won't help anyone who has lost the use of their hands, but I have some advice for touch typists who use a standard keyboard like a laptop or typical desktop keyboard: don't bend your wrists. Of course most people know about the ergonomic advice to have your keyboard at the right height so your wrists don't have to bend up or down. But I often see people typing with a horizontal bend in their wrists so that their…
The biggest change that helped when I developed temporary RSI when playing video games in my mid-teens was learning and switching to Colemak. Natural keyboards (Microsoft-style) helped a bit, but the curved Kinesis Advantage really taught me that you should try to never raise your keyboard angle, and instead keep the keyboard flat at a height where your fingers rest on the home row, wrists straight and naturally held…
I actually look after a relative who has similar but not identical issue. Like OP, the diagnosis is madness and advice to see a clinical psychologist (ironically, this person was a psychologist themselves). Like OP, the doctor is actually actively intervening to prevent a second opinion from a neurologist (which is slightly redundant as the conclusion will most likely be the same...although sometimes you get lucky).
In what is probably not a massive coincidence, my relative probably saw the same people as OP (I live in the Edinburgh area). This unit got handed a massive stack of cash recently...BMWs all round for the boys.
Recently, as my relative's condition has deteriorated, I think about this a lot (they are basically a parent to me).
Doctors in the UK are, by and large, arrogant. If you want to know if someone is a doctor in the UK, talk to them...they will tell you within the first ten seconds...multiple times. Most outside primary care seem to actively dislike patients. I know multiple people who became doctors...none did anything for anyone but themselves (amazing given that almost everyone at my school was strongly encouraged to do charity work). I went to a university with a huge, well-regarded medical school...nothing that I experienced at university altered this view. There is something fundamentally, one could even say psychologically, wrong with the kind of person who becomes a doctor in the UK.
But there is also something utterly wrong with the incentives: the NHS has no capacity for care outside a narrow boundary. They have "policy" in areas where this makes no sense. In this area, there is a clear medical consensus that these issues aren't psychological...outside the UK. Inside, there is "policy"...if you have any of these problems (fibro/CFS/ME) you are mad. Say what you will about the US healthcare system but in these cases, i.e. infrequent, then you actually get a decent result, doctors are paying attention to research, and they are actually willing to consider the possibility that you aren't "putting it on".
The only exception is MS...unf, as it is often clear where the boundary lies between MS and some of the other things in this group, this is a largely redundant distinction to everyone but the doctors.