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Ask HN: How have you cured your RSI?

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Re: Ask HN: How have you cured your RSI?

#71

Post by kevinherron »

caseyf7 wrote: post #67
kevinherron wrote: post #52

Work out and lift weights. But ergonomically speaking I use a Kinesis Advantage 2 keyboard and a Logitech MX Vertical mouse. You may also need a long break to heal, which might not be an option if you're American. An engineer from Germany I know had something like 4 or 6 weeks off work when diagnosed with RSI and nobody batted an eye.

Ergonomic keyboard and switch to trackball helped a lot, but exercise helped the most. I find it doesn’t even have to be weightlifting or anything with the hands. It’s more about the cardiovascular workout. Running and cycling have improved my rsi significantly.

There might be something to this. I quit lifting weights when I cancelled my gym membership right before the pandemic started. But I did notice a difference in how good my hands/wrists felt during the ~12 months I was lifting.

I’ve trained and raced bikes for years and I’m currently on a break from cycling and now I’m running 5-6 days a week instead.

I’m eventually going to build a gym in my garage because I felt so dang good overall during the period I was lifting that I’m now convinced it’s part of the key to keeping my body from falling apart as I age.

Re: Ask HN: How have you cured your RSI?

#72

Post by shyn3 »

kevinherron wrote: post #52

Work out and lift weights. But ergonomically speaking I use a Kinesis Advantage 2 keyboard and a Logitech MX Vertical mouse. You may also need a long break to heal, which might not be an option if you're American. An engineer from Germany I know had something like 4 or 6 weeks off work when diagnosed with RSI and nobody batted an eye.

I got the MX Vertical, K860 keyboard, All33 Chair and it has been amazing for the pandemic. At work I had crappy Dell keyboards, a basic mouse, and a horrible chair. It's night and day. Changed my monitor from a crappy monitor to a high DPI monitor and it's so clean and great for your eyes.

Granted, all this can be alleviated by working out and sunlight. Get those bands and just work out. Nothing beats it.

Re: Ask HN: How have you cured your RSI?

#73

Post by hderms »

I didn't have RSI super bad, more of some early warning signs, however, I fixed them with a split keyboard. Ergodox moonlander in particular. Split keyboards typically seem to have a learning curve, especially reduced keyset ones with the thumb clusters. it's taken me about 3 months to really get comfortable with it but I have zero pain in my wrists, hands, etc...

Re: Ask HN: How have you cured your RSI?

#74

Post by whitepoplar »

BugsJustFindMe wrote: post #66

> numbness and tinging on the ulnar side of both hands and wrists That's not RSI! That's from posture! This happened to me when I worked on the couch with my laptop on my lap. And to my friend. And to my mom. And to my other friend. It's always the same source, the ulnar nerve root coming out of C8-T1, always the same problem, the angle of the neck (looking down) and the set of the shoulders (typically because the el…

I think you're onto something. My problem is that I had horrible posture, no ergonomic setup or true desk, didn't work out, and paid no attention to it all until recently. About 6 months ago, I started using a proper ergonomic setup (Herman Miller chair, standing desk, etc.) and I notice that the pain becomes less intense when I'm at my desk or walking around. It gets worse when I sit on the couch or lie in bed with my back propped up (reading or computing).

Did you have to do anything apart from changing your desk setup in order to recover? What type of medical imagery was needed (if any) to be diagnosed with your C8-T1 problem? Thanks for your help!

Re: Ask HN: How have you cured your RSI?

#75

Post by caseyf7 »

robscallsign wrote: post #44
whitepoplar wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you so much for this thorough response! I have the Armaid and use it regularly, though I haven't done any focused massage therapy. Can I ask how you found your massage therapist?

Just through a quick google search and chose one that happened to be near the route I drove between work and my sons daycare. Her website was pretty generic and minimal, so I didn't have high hopes going in, but feel I lucked out as she had an undergrad degree in Kinesiology (or similar), and was a semi-professional cyclist, and had a lot of applied knowledge on anatomy, health, wellness, performance. The keywords I…

Good point about the wrist posture during sleeping. One doctor recommended wearing a wrist brace to sleep and that made a noticeable improvement.

Re: Ask HN: How have you cured your RSI?

#76

Post by [deleted] »

caseyf7 wrote: post #67
kevinherron wrote: post #52

Work out and lift weights. But ergonomically speaking I use a Kinesis Advantage 2 keyboard and a Logitech MX Vertical mouse. You may also need a long break to heal, which might not be an option if you're American. An engineer from Germany I know had something like 4 or 6 weeks off work when diagnosed with RSI and nobody batted an eye.

Ergonomic keyboard and switch to trackball helped a lot, but exercise helped the most. I find it doesn’t even have to be weightlifting or anything with the hands. It’s more about the cardiovascular workout. Running and cycling have improved my rsi significantly.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: How have you cured your RSI?

#77

Post by _dps »

Others mentioned lifting weights — +1 to that but let me add something I haven't seen mentioned yet: rowing.

Rowing is, in my opinion, the perfect anti-programming exercise.

  - you unfurl your body instead of hunching over, stretching it in a way counter to the usual strains programming creates 
  
  - you exercise your back, especially lower back, giving you support muscles for good posture

  - you also exercise your forearms, building strength to support your wrists
I've been rowing consistently for about 20 years now, and have never once had wrist or lower back pain, despite programming professionally.

Re: Ask HN: How have you cured your RSI?

#78

Post by whitepoplar »

_dps wrote: post #77

Others mentioned lifting weights — +1 to that but let me add something I haven't seen mentioned yet: rowing. Rowing is, in my opinion, the perfect anti-programming exercise. - you unfurl your body instead of hunching over, stretching it in a way counter to the usual strains programming creates - you exercise your back, especially lower back, giving you support muscles for good posture - you also exercise your forearm…

Hey! Former rower here! ;) I haven't rowed for several years and only just started again about 5 months ago. I was hoping it would help, but any improvement has been marginal at best.

Re: Ask HN: How have you cured your RSI?

#79

Post by BugsJustFindMe »

whitepoplar wrote: post #74
BugsJustFindMe wrote: post #66

> numbness and tinging on the ulnar side of both hands and wrists That's not RSI! That's from posture! This happened to me when I worked on the couch with my laptop on my lap. And to my friend. And to my mom. And to my other friend. It's always the same source, the ulnar nerve root coming out of C8-T1, always the same problem, the angle of the neck (looking down) and the set of the shoulders (typically because the el…

I think you're onto something. My problem is that I had horrible posture, no ergonomic setup or true desk, didn't work out, and paid no attention to it all until recently. About 6 months ago, I started using a proper ergonomic setup (Herman Miller chair, standing desk, etc.) and I notice that the pain becomes less intense when I'm at my desk or walking around. It gets worse when I sit on the couch or lie in bed with…

So the problem is called C8 radiculopathy, and it basically just means a pinched or inflamed nerve at or near the base of the neck. You can search the web for diagrams of where the nerves are that cause pain where you've described. Look at the root of the ulnar nerve.

> What type of medical imagery was needed (if any) to be diagnosed with your C8-T1 problem? Thanks for your help!

Most likely imagery won't show anything because usually it's just strain and not something broken, overgrown, or torn. But if there's a more persistent physical cause like abnormal bone growth or a herniated disc, then an MRI of the base of your neck should be able to show it (though often herniated discs don't bulge abnormally in typical imaging postures so that's iffy too).

> Did you have to do anything apart from changing your desk setup in order to recover?

The first time it happened to me I managed to make it go away after two weeks of refusing to use my laptop on my lap.

There are certain exercises that may help like reverse fly where you squeeze your shoulderblades together hard and other things, but go slowly because DOMS pain will make nerve inflammation worse instead of better.

If someone recommends epidural cortisone injections, ignore them and go somewhere else. Those are expensive, dangerous, and painful placebos.

Re: Ask HN: How have you cured your RSI?

#80

Post by qq4 »

rococode wrote: post #60
kevinherron wrote: post #52

Work out and lift weights. But ergonomically speaking I use a Kinesis Advantage 2 keyboard and a Logitech MX Vertical mouse. You may also need a long break to heal, which might not be an option if you're American. An engineer from Germany I know had something like 4 or 6 weeks off work when diagnosed with RSI and nobody batted an eye.

Did the mouse make a big difference for you? I came across it recently and was considering getting it as my wrist has been getting pretty creaky. I tried putting my hand in that position on my desk and it certainly feels quite relaxing, but I have no idea whether it'll actually feel more comfortable in regular long-term use.

Fwiw, I'll never go back to a regular mouse and I don't suffer from RSI. Vertical mice and trackballs are _just_ better ergonomically. My wrists never feel fatigued and it's very relaxing.
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