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Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft

blog.louisgray.com

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Re: Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft

#11

Post by louismg »

mike_esspe wrote: post #10
Jarred wrote: post #4

This is why I like having a desktop for coding. It's much more comfortable sitting in a nice chair, with two big monitors, an external ergonomic keyboard (Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite), and the Razer DeathAdder mouse (Not as ergonomic as a trackball mouse, but very ergonomic for a regular mouse). You could do this with a laptop too, but you'll be more prone to coding on the couch, which will dramatically increase…

I wonder if not using mouse helps against the syndrome? I'm coding only on notebooks + touchpad for last 10 years, and never had a problem. Though reading stories from people with syndrome makes me worrying :)

When I used a mouse, I found my right wrist hurt more than the left. But I can't say that moving to a laptop with a trackpad is 10x better.

Re: Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft

#12

Post by diolpah »

mike_h wrote: post #3

The main point is always worth reiterating (take care of your body), but before a bunch of people run out and buy wrist supports I just want to add that things like this are not universally endorsed by physical therapists (or fellow injury-prone hackers). They can lead to secondary issues like atrophy and poor circulation, which in turn lead to more issues, etc. Having been through multiple versions of these (the kin…

This. It should be pointed out that we already have 'wrist support' built in. It's called tendons and ligaments. Center a workout around heavy deadlifts twice per week, and these support structures are guaranteed to strengthen, along with the rest of the body.

Re: Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft

#13

Post by mike_esspe »

mike_esspe wrote: post #10
Jarred wrote: post #4

This is why I like having a desktop for coding. It's much more comfortable sitting in a nice chair, with two big monitors, an external ergonomic keyboard (Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite), and the Razer DeathAdder mouse (Not as ergonomic as a trackball mouse, but very ergonomic for a regular mouse). You could do this with a laptop too, but you'll be more prone to coding on the couch, which will dramatically increase…

I wonder if not using mouse helps against the syndrome? I'm coding only on notebooks + touchpad for last 10 years, and never had a problem. Though reading stories from people with syndrome makes me worrying :)

I just skimmed through carpal tunnel papers on pubmed, and found a surprising large amount of papers stating, that there is no correlation between keyboard use and the syndrome.

Re: Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft

#14

Post by 16s »

georgieporgie wrote: post #9

Upon graduating college and entering the workforce, I was debilitated by awful wrist pain. It was so bad, I could barely shift my car on the way home. Over a decade later, my wrists hardly ever bother me. Physical therapy taught me to regularly stretch my wrists, and how to strengthen them. I began pursuing other activities which further strengthened my wrists (rock climbing is particularly great, so long as you avoi…

Great advice. I can attest to the wrist strengthen and stretching as well.

Re: Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft

#15

Post by kristofferR »

ldayley wrote: post #5

I wish that the Dvorak keyboard layout would get more attention and support. Prevention > Cure.

Why not Colemak instead? Colemac is both more similar to QWERTY than Dvorak (so a lot of keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+Z/X/C/V still works and also easier to learn) and more efficient.

Re: Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft

#16

Post by proee »

I've found setting my mouse sensitivity (pointer speed) to maximum helps reduce wrist movement. It takes just a little getting use to, but once you adjust to the increased speed your wrist moves very little. This is especially good for large displays (I have a triple monitor setup).

Re: Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft

#17

Post by erikcw »

I recently had a new suit tailored and was surpised/amused to learn that my right arm is 1/4" longer than my left (this hasn't been the case when I've been measured in the past). My guess is that I was out of alignment from my habit of sitting slightly diagonal to my desk and reaching for my mouse with my right hand for much of the day.

I'm already much more of a keyboard guy than a "mouser" (as I'm sure most HNer's are) -- but I'm switching to a standing desk next week and correcting my bad habits. I'm to young for this!...

Re: Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft

#18

Post by sliverstorm »

mike_esspe wrote: post #13
mike_esspe wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if not using mouse helps against the syndrome? I'm coding only on notebooks + touchpad for last 10 years, and never had a problem. Though reading stories from people with syndrome makes me worrying :)

I just skimmed through carpal tunnel papers on pubmed, and found a surprising large amount of papers stating, that there is no correlation between keyboard use and the syndrome.

I find myself wondering if the studies you reference actually studied the effects of poor posture, or only the use of keyboards themselves.

I have found I'm much more prone to discomfort in my wrists when I am typing on my 10" netbook half-lying down on the couch with my shoulders 30-45 degrees out-of-line with the monitor.

Re: Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft

#19

Post by erikcw »

ldayley wrote: post #5

I wish that the Dvorak keyboard layout would get more attention and support. Prevention > Cure.

Any idea if it is possible to re-arrange the backlit keys on a MacBook Air? I used to use Dvorak before I switched to Macs with their pretty keyboards.

Re: Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft

#20

Post by sn0wright »

Besides the physical impact, you should definitely look into the mental impact of the craft as well. I've learned (unfortunately through the hard way) that regular exercise (be it yoga, running, etc) helps to relieve stress that our body encounters throughout the day.
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