Carpal Tunnel treatment

[Dr_Wonderful]

I'm pretty sure I have a mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome. This was probably caused by a lot of typing/clicking and the fact that I just moved to small bed and I sleep on my wrists bent in a bad angle.

Anyways, I'm not 100% certain that it is Carpal Tunnel, but how would I treat it if it was? Theres not a lot I can do about using the computer because of poker. should I ice my wrist? Stretch it out? Please help before it worsens!

[kinda]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpal_...rome#Treatment

[cbloom]

J F G I

[kidcolin]

I have some wrist/forearm related pain occasionally since I'm at a computer all day for work. Stretch a lot, take frequent breaks. If you can, switch your mouse hand every once in a while (even weekly would be good). Icing also can help a lot, though I find it to be kind of a pain in the ass.

Google some crap about ergonomics as well to fix problems with your posture (don't plant your wrists on the desk!). I've got a pretty sweet 3M joystick mouse I use a lot of the time to keep my wrist in a more neutral position.

[Blarg]

I can't help but think that the same processes at work in making contrast baths such effective treatment for arthritics and gripper fanatics would have some positive benefits for carpal tunnel too. The increased blood flow can dramatically increase the removal of metabolic wastes and the speeding of oxygen and nutrients to the tendons and ligaments. It's a treatment so cheap as to be virtually free, so I can't see any reason not to try it. You can get the whole set up going for about $25 bucks, and there's no further costs.

[kidcolin]

[ QUOTE ]

I can't help but think that the same processes at work in making contrast baths such effective treatment for arthritics and gripper fanatics would have some positive benefits for carpal tunnel too.

[/ QUOTE ]

I actually thought about your post about that this morning while preparing for work. For about a year I've had problems with my right wrist. You know that bone bump? It's really big on my right wrist, but x-rays came back negative. It's all smooth calcified material. But it still can feel sensitive at times. I'm going to try it out.

What are the setup costs? Shouldn't it just be a bucket with hot water and a bucket with ice water?

[pr0crast]

[ QUOTE ]
I can't help but think that the same processes at work in making contrast baths such effective treatment for arthritics and gripper fanatics would have some positive benefits for carpal tunnel too. The increased blood flow can dramatically increase the removal of metabolic wastes and the speeding of oxygen and nutrients to the tendons and ligaments. It's a treatment so cheap as to be virtually free, so I can't see any reason not to try it. You can get the whole set up going for about $25 bucks, and there's no further costs.

[/ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the heads up, I'm gonna try it.

http://www.ithaca.edu/faculty/nquarrie/contrast.html

[CrayZee]

If you do a lot of English-language typing, you might want to consider learning the Dvorak keyboard mapping...as well as the decent ergo mouse.

My desktop combo is the Typematrix compact keyboard and the Logitech MX Revolution mouse.

If you spend most of your "terminal time" on laptop computers, be sure to watch your posture. These computers are great of portability but encourage weird body positions. This wasn't a big deal back in the day, but laptops are cheap (and pretty likely to exceed most desktop purchases in the next 5 or so years).

There are, of course, some downside to learning and using a new keyboard mapping, but it's a helluva lot more comfortable than Qwerty and maybe even a little faster. Some people, like me, forget how to touch type Qwerty, though. (But it's probably somewhat self inflicted personally.)

Edit:
Dvorak Wikipedia reference

[kyleb]

[ QUOTE ]
It's all smooth calcified material. But it still can feel sensitive at times. I'm going to try it out.

[/ QUOTE ]

A little offtopic, but I have this probably in my right knee. It sucks.

[Neko]

Cray,

How long did it take you to learn the Dvorak layout? Did you use a typing program to practice before you started using it full time?