Ergoblog

Update on My RSI Issues (AKA things are looking up)

If you've visited before (or clicked the link on the sidebar that describes my issues), you know I started this blog because of hand pain from typing/mousing.  I haven't been posting too much lately, but it's not because things have gotten worse.  My hands are actually about 95% better (this is after more than 4 years of not being able to work at the computer for more than an hour or two a day without pain).  I won't say I'm completely cured yet (they still feel a little stiff at times), but I think I'm heading that direction.  I'm even playing World of Warcraft (yes, I'm a geek) in addition to my regular computer work.

So, what miraculous thing helped me?  Was it the hand braces, the drugs, the various contraptions for exercising my wrists?

Nope.  (None of that stuff helped me.)

Then last summer, I was diagnosed with hidden food allergies, specifically gluten and dairy.  Of course, I was eating these things every day (gluten is found in wheat which is found in... just about everything) and my body had built up a tolerance, but there were symptoms.  Everything from my RSI to headaches to asthma to acne to heartburn.  I had no idea these things were all related (I just remember feeling annoyed that I was already having all these troubles in my 20s--what kind of mess would I be by 50??). 

So I must thank the doctor (it was an alternative medicine clinic... my regular doctor just wanted to prescribe drugs for everything) who thought to ask: have you ever been tested for food allergies. 

It's a pain to have to avoid these foods (eating out is very cumbersome), but it's worth it to feel so much better.  If you are struggling with hard to diagnose issues, I encourage you to do some research on symptoms of hidden food allergies (there are a lot of them and they can manifest differently in different people) and get tested if it sounds like a match.  I read that 1 in 8 people are actually allergic to wheat and many don't know it (and for the rest of the popular, it's apparently not something anybody digests really well).

Check it out, and good luck with your issues!

Jobri Kneeling Chair Gets Positive Review

I was over at someone's place the other day, and they have a kneeling chair, so I was able to try it out.  He is an avid computer gamer (read: oh, I forgot to go to bed last night because my guild was on a dungeon raid...) who logs 100  hours or more at the keyboard (he has a computer job in addition to his gaming addiction), and his old chair (an Office Depot special) wasn't cutting it.  Since he wasn't able to afford something like the Aeron (this is the chair I have, and you can read my review at the appropriately named Herman Miller Aeron Review post), he picked up a kneeling chair by Jobri for a couple hundred dollars.

Anyway, he's a big fan of it and sits in the thing for hours on end without any back pain (before he was having trouble with lower back pain and tension knots in his neck and upper back).  I got to try it out and it felt a little weird at first (I just felt like my balance was off... you feel like you're being pushed into the kneeler cushion), but after a few times getting up and down and typing for a while, I got used to it.  It actually did seem comfortable too.

The kneeler chairs work by taking more of your weight on your knees (you rest them against the padded lower cushion), which is supposed to let you sit in just the right position to keep the natural S curve to your spine.  Apparently, this is a good thing.  All I care about in a chair is whether or not it's still comfortable to sit in at the end of the day.  And this fellow swears up and down by the chair, saying it's totally gotten rid of his back pain.  (He wasn't trying to sell me one or anything, so I believe him.)

He said it was by Jobri, but I'm not sure if the one pictured here is the exact model I tried (it's what I could find a picture of for you on Amazon).  Still, I think they are probably similar.  This one has Tempur-Pedic cushioning (yes, the mattress people do chairs too) and runs $229, which sounds about like what my friend paid for his.  That makes it about 1/3rd the price I paid for my Aeron, so if a kneeling chair works for you,  it's probably not a bad bet, financially or ergonomically speaking.

Jobri Kneeling Chair (affiliate link)

Adesso Tru-Form Media Keyboard Gets Top Pick

I got a hold of this week's issue of Business 2.0 and they have a brief section where they reviewed three ergonomic keyboards.  On the block were the CKS Comfort, the Kinesis Advantage Pro (the keyboard I've had for the last two years), and the Adesso Tru-Form Media. 

The CKS Comfort got 3 out of a possible 4 stars (or maybe 5... it's not clear, and they didn't seem ecstatic about any of the keyboards), the Kinesis 3.5 stars, and the Adesso 4 stars.  The blurbs are pretty short, but here's what they said about the Adesso:

"Buy this one if your wrists are basically fine, but you want an inexpensive hassle-free way to keep them that way."

Cons: "The one-size-fits-all layout isn't ideal for those who suffer from extreme wrist discomfort."

Pros: "This standard ergonomic keyboard has split, angled sections and a soft natural curve."

MX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse Review

I've been using my iGesture for the last two or three years, so I haven't been out shopping for computer mice in a while.  But when the folks at Logitech asked me if I wanted to try their new MX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse, I was excited to have the chance to play with a new gadget.  And gadget is about right, because this mouse does a lot more than your typical came-with-the-computer standard mouse. 

Some of the features are:

• A "MicroGear Precision Scroll Wheel" that has two modes (one lets you skim quickly through lots of pages with a flick of a finger and the other moves the page up or down slowly).
• A "touch-to-search" button that prompts the mouse to open your preferred Internet browser for you (you highlight a word or phrase, hit the button, and a browser window opens to the search results of that keyword).
• A thumb wheel that works like alt-tab on your keyboard.  It lets you switch from document to document without taking your hands off the mouse.  The thumb wheel also has a zoom feature.
• A forward and back button under the thumb for surfing the Web without bothering with the browser buttons on your toolbar.
• A comfortable, ergonomic design.

As someone who's dealt with repetitive stress issues for the last few years, that last feature has become particularly important to me when considering a mouse.  I'm happy to say the MX Revolution is comfortable and fit well in my hand. 

Even though this isn't the laptop version (there's a VX Revolution that's specifically designed for laptop users), I installed it on my laptop (my desk PC is slightly, uhm, surrounded by a fortress of papers, magazines, folders, sticky notes, etc. and I didn't think you'd even to notice the mouse in the pictures, if I did it at my desk), and installation was painless on my Windows XP system.

The mouse comes with a CD for software installation, a little USB receiver (that captures the signal from the wireless mouse), and a charger (because it's a wireless mouse, it has an internal battery that needs to be charged occasionally).  A nice feature about the charger is it has a pretty small plug (it doesn't hang down to obscure the plug-in beneath the one it's in), so it's possible to fit it and your laptop plug on the same standard outlet.  The mouse actually came with a three-quarters charge, so I haven't had to charge it yet, and after an hour or so of dinking around and writing this review, the mouse doesn't have any red LEDs yet (which would indicate it's running low on juice and needs to visit the charger).

So, which features do I like about the MX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse and what could I do without?  Let's take a look:

I'm not a big user of scroll wheels on the top of any mouse (maybe it's an RSI thing, but lifting my middle finger to fiddle with them doesn't feel natural to me), but I really liked the thumb wheel on the side of this one.  Currently, I'm using a Kinesis Advantage split keyboard on my main computer, and alt-tab isn't nearly as intuitive as it was for me on a standard keyboard (it basically takes two hands for me to hit the buttons, and I have to look down to find them).  This mouse gives me back the ability to quickly switch between applications. 

I also like the forward/backward buttons on the side of the mouse, just above the thumb wheel.  They're easy to nudge with your thumb, so moving forward and backward through the web sites on your browser can be done without moving the cursor. 

I'm a bit in the middle for the wireless aspect.  I'm not sure that having a mouse attached to my computer is any sort of inconvenience, whereas remembering to put my mouse on the charger at the end of a work session could become one. 

I do dig the laser tracking.  I know that's not exactly a new feature in the mouse world, but it's one I've always liked.  I used the Revolution on the dining room table, my pants leg, and a book, all without any problem (I was going to try using the cat's back, but he objected).  Laser tracking is one feature that's particularly nice with a laptop.  Who wants to drag a mouse pad with them in a bag where space is an issue?

The touch-to-search button is pretty neat too.  It may take a while before that becomes instinctive, but I could see myself getting used to it and then missing it quite a bit on other mice.  (You mean I have to open Internet Explorer myself?  Aw, maaan.)

And the last thing I'll mention here is the design.  This is a cool looking computer accessory.  The sleek black mouse is not only functional but it has an attractive space age design.  When it's resting pertly in its little charger, it looks like something that would fit right in on a Star Trek set (Next Generation, of course--not the clunky Original series sets!).  The mouse almost makes me wish I didn't work from home, so I had co-workers who would jealously admire it as they strolled past my cubicle. 

So, bottom line?

I like the MX Revolution mouse, and I don't have any problem recommending it.  In fact, I'm planning to keep mine, transfer it over to my main computer, and use it.  I think it's the integrated alt-tab and forward/backward buttons that won me over. 

With a retail price of $99.99, it may be a bit pricey for your average home computer user, but if you're pimping the Aeron chair, the $400 ergonomic keyboard, and the 27" LCD monitor, this is the mouse that goes with it.

I just hope the Logitech people didn't want it back... I'll lick it and contaminate it with my germs if I have to. :P

Logitech MX Revolution
http://www.logitech.com

Keyboard with Extra Big Letters

Here's a smart idea for anyone whose eyes aren't as good as they used to be.  A keyboard with over-sized letters, numbers, and symbols is easier for folks with vision issues.  It can also be helpful if you're working in a low-light situation for whatever reason (I won't go into the days when I used to play Everquest all night with the lights off and how it's no wonder I have repetitive strain injuries and other issues now...)

This large print keyboard is only $10, and I'd probably go for something a little higher quality if I was going to invest in a new model keyboard, but if you're interested, it is available online from Collections, Etc.

Link Between Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Diabetes?

Well, here's something you really don't want to hear: "Carpal tunnel syndrome may be an early warning sign that diabetes is just around the corner."

That's according to an article called "Carpal Tunnel May Predict Diabetes" over at WebMD.

In a study of 2,655 people with diabetes (compared against 5,300 without it), researchers looked back through nine years of medical records and found out that "people who had been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome were 36% more likely to later be diagnosed with diabetes, regardless of other diabetes risk factors."

They go on to say that they can't prove anything yet, but it apparently is known that nerve injuries are common with diabetes, so maybe CTS could be a warning sign of what's down the road for some...

I guess we better stop eating those Big Macs and chocolate shakes before the twinges in our joints turn into something even more serious.

So, I Have All These Food Allergies...

After three-plus years of trouble with repetitive stress injuries, and trying everything short of surgery, I may have actually figured out my problem.  As I mentioned a couple months ago (chronic muscle and joint pain caused by vitamin deficiencies?), I went to a doctor for digestion issues, and she had me tested for food hidden allergies (something no other doctor had thought to do previously).  I had positive responses for.. a lot.  Here are the biggest offenders (which are in things most of us eat on a daily basis):

• gluten (found in wheat, rye, and barley)
• dairy
• eggs

Based on these results and my symptoms, we (doctor and I) think it's likely that I have Celiac Disease (though I'd have to have a biopsy of the small intestine done to know for sure), which means eating gluten harms these little things in the small intestine called villi--they're what help you absorb nutrients from the food you eat.  So, even though I have a good diet, my body hasn't been getting all the vitamins/minerals it needs for years.  This leads to all sorts of problems (a lot of things like acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, bone and joint paint, and chronic fatigue syndrome may actually be caused by Celiac Disease). 

Because the symptoms can be different in different people and many aren't even obviously related to digestion, this is something that gets misdiagnosed a lot.  The stats I've read estimate that as many as 1 in 133 people in the U.S. have Celiac Disease and many of them just don't know it.  (Apparently it's especially common in those of Northern European descent.)

So, long story short, I'm now avoiding gluten (and my other allergens), which is inconvenient, but at least it's all you need to do to protect yourself and get better.  From what I've read, it takes 3-6 months for the gut to heal.  I'm already sleeping much better (digestion issues kept me up before), and I'm hoping this will turn out to finally fix my hands too. 

Flextend-AC

The folks over at Balance Systems Inc., who brought RSI sufferers the Flextend exercise glove, have a new product. Well, actually they're kind of building on their baseline product.  The glove, which I've used and talked about before (for more information on it, see my first Flextend post), builds up the muscles in the backs of your hands and forearms.  This is to fight muscle imbalances, which can be a big part of what leads to hand and wrist conditions such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries.

The Flextend AC works more than just the hands.  Touted as a "complete upper extremity training system," it's designed to correct "muscle imbalances within and around the shoulder joint," using a variety of "physician recommended exercises."  The training manual actually lists exercises for just about everything upper body: fingers, hands, wrists, forearms, elbows, shoulders, biceps, triceps, chest, and back (I guess you'll have to do some crunches on your own for abs).  So basically, instead of focusing on just the hands and wrists, they're now focusing on all the muscles that are involved with sitting at the computer and typing all day. 

Since they sent me the Flextend AC to try out and review, I'm going to be posting more on the system and the exercises in the next couple weeks. 

http://www.flextend.com/