RSI--My Condition/Symptoms

It occurred to me that I've yet to discuss my problems in any depth in this blog. You probably won't find it terribly fascinating, but I'm going to post a permanent link anyway, so people can see where I'm coming from when I review a product. Sometimes it can be helpful just reading about somebody else who has the same problems you do. Just remember, RSI tends to vary from person to person, and therapies that have worked for me may not work for you and vice versa.

My symptoms/computer-related problems:

Pain across the backs of the hand. According to everything I've read, this generally falls under RSI (repetitive stress/strain injury). The doctors I visited weren't much help in diagnosing the problem or recommending anything worthwhile to help treat this (more on that below).

Headaches and tension in the shoulders/neck/jaw (I've even had related toothaches despite there being nothing wrong with my teeth).

My history:

I started in on computer use young, first for typing homework, later for play. By the time I graduated from high school, I was addicted to BBS online games. As technology advanced, so did the games out there. The worst was Everquest which I fell in love with and played religiously for three years. That was in addition to having a job where I typed all the time.

Needless to say, it wasn't a big surprise when I started experiencing pain in my hands. I was only 25 (don't think RSI is only something that bothers people who have been working at computers for 20 years) at the time. I quit gaming, but it was harder to quit work (pesky food and rent requirements).

When easing back didn't get rid of the pain, I went to the doctor. She declared tendonitis as my problem. She gave me wrist braces to wear when sleeping, and if it helped, when typing. She also prescribed anti-inflammatory medicine. Neither helped. The drugs just made me more apt to go back to work since they dulled the pain. The pain came back. It got to the point where driving and even little things like taking a pitcher out of the refrigerator were hurting my hands.

I was referred to a hand specialist who started with a similar anti-inflammatory prescription. In addition, he told me to put a rubber band around my fingers and thumb and do exercises where I spread my fingers. He eventually gave me some other physical therapy type exercises. Neither of these things helped. No one ever recommended surgery (probably because they were quite sure what I had).

I'm convinced that if I could have just taken a few months away from the computer completely, I would have had a much better shot at healing. Unfortunately, since I'm self-employed, there's no such thing as workman's comp. It was never financially feasible for me to take as long a break as I probably needed.

I saw the hand specialist a couple more times, and he seemed more perplexed than anything by my condition. This, and the fact that none of his treatments were making a difference, diminished my confidence in him. The whole experimental style of let's try this, and if that doesn't work, we'll try this didn't sit well with me. That may very well be what needed to be done, but not at $150 a visit.

I stopped going to the hand specialist and turned to the library and the Internet. I'd read about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, but I was pretty sure that wasn't what I had. My wrists were fine. It wasn't until I chanced upon It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! RSI Theory and Therapy for Computer Professionals (an excellent book you'll see me reference often) that I found a name for my condition.

RSI. Repetitive Strain Injury. Knowing what the problem was and that other people out there had it (and had equal trouble finding doctors who understood it well) was a relief in itself.

Through reading, I've learned a number of ways to combat RSI, about office ergonomics and how important it is to set up your workspace correctly, and a lot of other stuff I chat about in this blog.

I'm still learning. If you have conflicting information on anything I post, feel free to leave comments, or recommend sites or books. I try to inform but not to "advise", since I'm not qualified to do so, but sometimes my opinions may come across like that, so please remember that nothing here should be mistaken for qualified medical advice.

My current status:

Through the use of stretching (yoga, actually), exercising (swimming and weightlifting--I choose machines that don't put a lot of pressure on my wrists/hands), and frequent breaks throughout the day, I've mostly eliminated the tension stuff along with making my body stronger and more able to tolerate the long hours at the computer.

The RSI comes and goes. It's much better than it was a year ago, but those weeks where I put in 60 hours on the computer take their toll, and the pain usually flares up. As much as I complain about Dragon NaturallySpeaking, it's the only thing that has allowed me to continue to do my work and pay the bills. I have gone back to school, in part as a result of all this, and I'm hoping to earn a Master's degree, maybe eventually a Ph.D., so I can teach instead of pounding at the keyboard for the rest of my life.

UPDATE: 1/22/05: RSI Update, My Hands Have Been Feeling Better

Comments

[Sonal]

Hi,

I would want to get in touch with you over email for a couple of questions on ergonomics if you dont mind....I am a student in University of Michigan with Human Factors major and have been following your blog regularly.

Hopefully, you will get in touch with me on the email indicated above if you could spare some time to help me in my research.

[Gary]

Im Shagged - reported my sore arm to the company health department in December 2004 - they had me examined by a doctor 1 year later and he said there is nothing wrong with me - actually 3 doctors said the same thing!! What started in my right wrist is now on all up my right arm and now on ly left arm. Yap - its RSI!
I've started swimming and excercise this week but i think its gone too far! depression is on the cards i think!

[JEH]

"I'm convinced that if I could have just taken a few months away from the computer completely, I would have had a much better shot at healing."

I was also too eager to "just finish this project. I'll have time to get better afterwards". Biggest mistake ever. :-(

[Al]

Hi i am almost 16 yrs old and i would like to say that i have played online games for 3 years
and all of a sudden i am getting pains in my wrist and forearm and it is getting worse so i decided to not use the computer as much but this just proves the this can happen to any age.

[cary b]

i have RSI as well , and right now I'm using Dragon speak . for this posting goes over the find out about digital recorders that you Dragon speak and see what other people are using. I spent a good number of years tattooing professionally , holding that heavy machine between my three fingers that I had a jewelry manufacturing business , which was very and intensive , along with many many hours on the computer . they also paint and draw very regularly . all this is given the incredible shoulder and arm pain. I failed to mention having cervical and lumbar spine problems from numerous car accidents , etc. and have had two spinal fusion's. I thought much about our problem was from my neck . but it didn't go away after the surgery , and now it's back . all the way . so I am trying the wrist wand idea and reading a book about RSI and trying some of the exercises , any suggestions would be great thanks, Cary Brief

[sam]

ive had WRULD for 12 years, ive not worked for 3yrs. it started in my right wrist and hand then 6mths later in the left. ive had acc/puncture,physio,occ/therapy,the walton pains centre and none have helped. i take gabapentin and amitriptlyn. i swim, which is painful doing breast stroke, so i learnt crawl, now im learning b/stroke cos its supposed 2 b better, i also go 2 the gym (cardio only) now its time 2 look for new stuff myself, so any advice off any1 would be great

[barb]

i have been diagnosed with rsi, after having been thru 6 months of excrutiating pain, 4 and a half of which i suffered thru at work. finally since pain killers werent't working we go me in to get some tests done. they rules out carpal tunnel and deduced rsi. i am currently in physiotherapy, which is starting to help and am slated to go back to work on august 6th, modifed hours to start and thnkfully comp will still cover me and physio. i don't have anyone to talk to about this really, my family doesn't seem to "get it". anyway this is a great site. thanks

[Jamie]

Hello! I have just discovered your awesome blog (via blog catalog). I am really excited to do some serious homework here. Would you mind if I linked our blogs? I'm just getting started out on mine (wouldn't mind if you wanted to link mine to yours too!) foucusing on both RSI and Wokers' Comp info that I've had firsthand, ongoing experience with.
Although I injured my self as a barista, I know I can stand to improve my home office ergonomics. Thank you for your effort to help us RSI-ers!!
take care

[Jeffrey]

I have been teetering on the edge of miserable RSI for about a year now.

I have pain and occaisonal numbness in my hands and in my elbows from typing.

Here is what I've tried to use to keep the RSI under control:

Ibuprofen: Does not work. In fact, makes matters worse because I keep typing instead of stopping and stretching.

Wrist Splints: Useful to teach yourself to type without bending your wrists. After you learn that, take them off or else your muscles will atrophy.

Every Ergo keyboard under the sun: now I'm using the Goldtouch and a Kinesis foot pedal for the Shift key, etc. Foot pedal helps. Goldtouch helps.

Physical therapy: The electric shock thing was useless. My doctor kept wanting to do a nerve conductivity test. I kept asking him, "But how will the course of treatment differ depending on the results of the test?" and he couldn't answer. What's the point of knowing that information if it doesn't affect your decisions? I refused the test.

Physical therapy at the clinic: not significantly better than a good massage/stretch.

Rubber band exercises: helps with weak feeling I sometimes get.

Heavy weight-lifting/body building: Helps more than anything else. If I have a good lift in the morning, my hands feel great all day. This includes doing exercises my doctor specifically asked me not to do: big pulls like pull ups and rows.

Swimming: Helps arm and shoulder strength, but puts too much load on my hands. I do it no more than once a week.

Rest: I haven't had more than 2 consecutive weeks of vacation since I reported my injury a year ago, but the scary thing is the rest doesn't seem to help that much. That first week back from the 2-week vacation is very painful. The following week is better.

[Lorenzo]

Also I have been suffering about RSI cause 8-9 hours office works. Some day I had incredible pain on my wrists, and I tried to take pain-killers and other medicinals.
I healed myself when I changed my desk with a much more big desk in order to place my full arm (from elbow to wrist) on the table. The old desk in fact was very short and this was the first problems that maked me big problems.
Currently I'm going to swimming pool in order to increase my arms force.