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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

#181

Post by cpncrunch »

jacobolus wrote: post #161
Someone wrote: post #81

RSI is one of those things (ADHD, autism and dyslexia are other examples) that start as a label some scientist puts on a specific set of symptoms that cannot (currently) be linked to a specific condition [1], becomes popular and then get used for a zillion things with more or less the same symptoms (Wikipedia lists edema, tendinosis, tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, De Quervain syndrome, t…

“RSI” from typing too much in an uncomfortable way or using bad equipment is too serious to brush off. For anyone reading here, if you’re regularly feeling any level of pain while typing, take an immediate break to figure out what’s wrong. If you let it persist it can do you serious damage. There are a number of ways you can relieve your symptoms. Scale back your typing and keep trying ideas until the pain goes away.…

>“RSI” from typing too much in an uncomfortable way or using bad equipment is too serious to brush off.

The article wasn't brushing off RSI, just pointing out that none of those things worked for him, and that emotional stress and cold seemed to be the major factors.

I certainly agree that you should look into ergonomics, but additionally you should definitely consider emotional stress, as there is ample evidence that stress may be a significant factor in many types of chronic pain.

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

#182

Post by udfalkso »

emodendroket wrote: post #157
udfalkso wrote: post #138

I've found the "Time Out" mac app helpful to force myself to take breaks and stretch/stand/rest-eyes periodically. I disabled the Skip button recently which has been a bit annoying but valuable. Also, years ago I started using a trackball mouse instead of a normal mouse (or the laptop trackpad which is the worst for my wrist). It has helped a ton.

I used one of those (Workrave specifically) when my symptoms were at their absolute worst but it just makes it impossible to get things done.

I did tone down the frequencies some to be more Manageable. Even a 12 second break every 15 monutes or so does a lot. And it doesn't break the flow much at all

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

#183

Post by Symbiote »

emodendroket wrote: post #162
kzisme wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How big of a difference did Dvorak make for you? While I feel no pain at all I'm pretty paranoid about getting any pain/RSI in the coming years (recent graduate now working full time)

While I'm not a Dvorak typist, it seems to me like the benefit from getting your keyboard at a proper height and maybe doing some hand and wrist strengthening is going to be bigger than switching keyboard layouts.

I disagree, and I've used Dvorak for 12 years.

Just using Qwerty for a few sentences feels awful. It doesn't hurt, of course, it's just a few sentences, usually on someone else's computer. But it's like using chopsticks to eat oily rice, when you're used to eating potatoes with a fork.

To everyone:

- Print this PDF: http://www.dvzine.org/type/OneSheetDVmap.pdf

- Change your keyboard layout to Dvorak

- Don't look at the keyboard, look at the printout to see where the keys are.

- Relax :)

(Qwerty: so much is one one hand. "st a few se", "lly on", "oily". Common things like "ter" and "sed" and "ard". This is the uncomfortable typing.

In Dvorak, the longest sequences on one hand in the above are "12 yea" and the "ng ch" in "using chopsticks".)

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

#186

Post by Gruselbauer »

I do pretty much everything wrong in terms of ergonomic working. No wrist rest, no typing technique, sit however fits the day. The only thing I don't have in common with the OP is that I'm constantly hot. Sitting in a room with no heating at 1000m above sea in the Alps right now, wearing a light track suit and only registering a mild cold. I haven't turned on heating in ages, actually.

The article does suggest psychosomatic causes more than anything, imho. Especially people with neither medical training (me included) or prior contact with that phenomenon (me excluded) often seem to think about this as a question of willpower, a conscious decision or a few sessions with a therapist. I beg to differ. If your hands pain you to the point of forcing you to change careers and there's no physiologically pinpointable reason, I don't see how the most complex parts of our bodies could not play a leading role.

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

#187

Post by emodendroket »

Symbiote wrote: post #183
emodendroket wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I'm not a Dvorak typist, it seems to me like the benefit from getting your keyboard at a proper height and maybe doing some hand and wrist strengthening is going to be bigger than switching keyboard layouts.

I disagree, and I've used Dvorak for 12 years. Just using Qwerty for a few sentences feels awful. It doesn't hurt, of course, it's just a few sentences, usually on someone else's computer. But it's like using chopsticks to eat oily rice, when you're used to eating potatoes with a fork. To everyone: - Print this PDF: http://www.dvzine.org/type/OneSheetDVmap.pdf - Change your keyboard layout to Dvorak - Don't look at t…

The longest one-handed QWERTY words are "sweaterdresses" and "stewardesses" as far as I know.

But anyway, as a programmer, you spend more time hitting key chords and special characters, which aren't much better in Dvorak and are probably part of why programmers are so prone to RSI despite in absolute terms not typing that much compared to, say, a secretary.

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

#188

Post by chair6 »

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…

Used to have serious wrist/arm pain. Used to spend a lot of keyboard time, but also used to exercise a lot.

Anecdotal, but what worked for me was stopping walking around with my hands in my pockets. Seriously! Must've been something to do with body tension - once I figured out that letting my arms swing freely when I walked places, instead of keeping them rigidly in my pockets, the pain went away and hasn't come back.

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

#189

Post by montecarl »

weerd wrote: post #86
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…

I generally agree that exercise is the key, but pushups can be terrible for tendonitis in the shoulder/upper-arm area. Just wanted to warn people from my experience. It took me way too long to realize that coding all day and games all night is a recipe for pain. Working out is not fun, but it's absolutely necessary for serious software work.

I got over some bad RSI pain and then decided to start doing pushups again. It came back for several weeks. I probably over did it. I have some trouble with going all-out on workouts. I want to get back into strength training, but I am worried that upper body exercise will just re-aggravate my RSI.

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

#190

Post by philliphaydon »

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…

I used to get mild wrist pain until I started going to the gym 3 times a week.

Last year I broke my arm, metal plates put in, then taken out, ended up with nerve damage and no feeling in half my hand, 3rd surgery to fix the nerve.

About 3 months ago pain started to come back. Doctor gave me the all clear to go back to the gym. Started 2 weeks ago. Pain gone completely.

Gym may not work for everyone. Works for me.

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