Help My Hurt Ergonomic Week & a Contest!
April 13, 2008 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Do you have a repetitive stress injury (RSI) or does someone you know have one? RSIs don’t necessarily have to come from work, but can come from pleasure activities, like golfing or quilting. While many of RSIs can be prevented just by changing how we approach certain tasks – some of them require all out refitting. Unfortunately, that sometimes isn’t a priority for some employers.
This week, I’m going to be looking at all things ergonomic for our work (and play) environments. I’ll offer tips on how you can use available products and tools to make your work or play station more comfortable and I’m also asking you for tips and ideas of how we can prevent injuries.
Contest!!!
So, here’s the contest part.
I’m giving away an ergonomic mousepad to the lucky winner of my
Work Safe, Play Safe Contest.
To enter the contest, all you need to do is post your story of an RSI or a tip on how to prevent an RSI. It could be sometime simple like you put a thick book under your feet to use as a foot rest or something more complicated like you had carpal tunnel syndrome and you had surgery.
Share your RSI tips and stories, and you may have yourself a new mousepad.
The contest will run for two weeks, ending midnight (EST- daylight savings) April 27, 2008. All entries will be given a number in the order they were submitted and a number will be chosen at random. You can enter more than once but all entries must be original. Please do not copy ideas or stories from other sources without attributing them.
Contest…. Contest…. Contest…. Contest….Contest… Contest… Contest…. Contest…. Contest…. Contest….Contest…
not to have to make a comment everytime you join an contest would help
True Susan, but then we can’t learn about other ideas and experiences, right?
Thanks for stopping by and good luck!
I ended up with some severe tendonitis from excessive keyboarding a couple of years ago. I tried physical therapy, braces, etc. Nothing seemed to help. Finally someone suggested acupuncture, which I’d never done before, but I was desperate. I had four treatments and improved greatly, but not all the way. The acupuncturist said she’d done what she could and she thought a deep-tissue massage would take care of it. So I did; let me tell you, deep-tissue massage is not the relaxing kind–it’s downright painful, and I even ended up with bruises! But I also ended up healed. I’m much more careful now about not overdoing at the keyboard, but if I ever get that bad again, I won’t hesitate to try the acupuncture/deep tissue massage combo.
Hi Amy, thanks for your comment.
I am a total acupuncture believer now – I’ve done a few posts on it here. I have also had deep massage but I never thought to use the two together. That’s a great idea. (you’re right though, a deep massage is *anything* but relaxing!)
What I think is cool too is that your acupuncturist knew when she’d done what she could and referred you to something else that might help, rather than just continuing treatment. To me, that’s the sign of a great healthcare provider.
I have carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis in my shoulder all caused from computer use. Presently I am taking physio but this mouse might help also.
Three years ago I developed a RSI in my right shoulder at work. It was basically a combination of stress, holding the phone in the crook of my neck, typing on the computer all day, and sewing. It ended up getting so bad that I could barely move my arm without feeling pain. After meeting with an ergonomist, we fit me with a hands-free headset, I learned how to stretch and move my shoulder to prevent stiffness, and corrected my posture while typing. I reduced my sewing load at home to top it off.
Honestly, if you work in an office and are at the computer all day, make sure your company provides you with a good ergonomist or occupational therapist who can make sure you’re doing the right things while sitting at your desk. I never realized how poorly I was operating, until I started to make the recommended changes.
nice!
I have carpal tunnel syndrome and tendnitis in both of my hands. It is currently treated by chiropractic care, but an ergonomic mousepad would be even more helpful.
Too much sweepstaking has caused pain in wrists. Different mousepad would be a godsend.
Many hours on the computer has left me with a big callus where my palm meets my wrist. Ouch! I would love to try an ergonomic mousepad.
HAVE HAD SURGEY ON RIGHT HAND FOR CARPAL TUNNEL. MY DOMINAT HAND IS MY LEFT LETS SAVE THIS ONE ..GOOD LUCK TO ALL
I used Serrapeptase for about a year and now I don’t have any carpal tunnel syndrome or other joint aches. It’s made from the spit of silk worm caterpillars and decreases inflammation. Wierd but true!
Sounds just what I need for my problems with my fingers. Thank you for this great contest!
…In my case, all it took was teaching myself proper posture & positioning, a new chair, and a new cushioned mousepad.
I stopped going to sites that have flash forms or where my voice typing software will not work.
Greetings! A few years ago, I was awakened in the night by intense pain in my lower arm and wrist. i went to the doctor and was given a protective cast to wear at night. It did take away the pain, but then numbness came in my fingers off and on. The cardiology dept. at the hospital further checked me and found I had carpel tunnel in both wrists. I had the surgeries done about two weeks apart. What caused it, was being on Ebay pretty for about a year! Now, is use a long, rubberized wrist pad in front of my computer. So far, so good. My husband even bought me a great ergonomic chair. I don’t have an ergonomic mousepad, though! Please enter me in your drawing. Many thanks…..Cindi
I have stopped hitting the keys really hard when my computer does not respond to what I am typing. It’s so frustrating when your almost done with a form, and out of no where, your computer locks up. By hitting the keys with extra force just sends my computer on it’s own destructive behavior. I need something to rest my fingers and wrist on. It would take tension off my fingers and wrist. Thanks for the giveaway.
i have to take a break from work every hour or so, to relax my wrists
Move your mouse pad occasionally so that your arm is not in the same position all the time.
I always sit up straight in my office chair when I am typing or on the computer. That protects my back and arms from aching at the end of the day. It also is good posture.
KEYBOARDING EXCESSIVELY
Exercise at least several times a week to keep your joints loosened up, it helps me.
Doing hot yoga several times a week helps my posture
I did keypunching for years at a former job. They didn’t have things set up to promote good ergonomics and subsequently I had carpal tunnel surgery done on both hands.
I used to have bad shoulder, elbow and wrist pain. I went to a doctor and he told me my keyboard was sitting too high. I lowered it and haven’t had problems since.
Here I sit with my wrist actually hitting along the edge of a marble table. How dumb is that?????
Does sitting on a heating pad to keep my bum nice and toasty count?
Hmm…probably not.
I do, however, take plenty of breaks throughout the day. This is sometimes difficult, because I hate breaking my work flow, but I manage to throw in some multitasking to motivate myself (”Oh, I need more coffee. The dog needs food. I really should put that load of laundry in the dryer.”) Each time I get up from my desk, I do a couple of stretches (and vow to get back into yoga).
Great contest!
I have pad in front of computer and in front of my mouse as well as a pillow on my chair.
i use an ergonomic keyboard and wear a wrist brace when I type
i spend to much time on the computer please help my hurt…enter me please.
Too many hours at the computer causes my neck, arm, and hand to really ache. I use acupuncture and acupressure and it helps. The mousepad when be great to try.
I found that snuggly wrapping the wrist eases the ache after overuse.
as a psychotherapist I know that exercise can become an addiction and work with a number of athletes with these types of injuries for just this reason – other forms of stress reduction are required – guided imagery is an option and also increases performance!
Three years ago, I had tendonitis from carrying my baby the wrong way, and didn’t know anything then except go to the orthoped doctor. Who gave me antiinflammatory shots and later released the nerve with surgery. unfortunately, a scar formed over it (duh! why the doctor didn’t tell me that a scar over the tissue brings it back to square 1 pain)… so I went to the OT. the short story of it, aside from therapy she used a band called kinesiotape, and amazingly the pain – nerve, muscle tightness etc – went away. I now use the tapes for other muscle/nerve aches.
I have carpal tunnel syndrome and take pain killers would love to try the mouse pad for relife
I’ve had surgery on my right wrist. I still have to be real careful and only use an ergonomic office set-up.
I got carple tunnel from shearing titanium all day
I recently purchased a new office chair, which has greatly increased my computing comfort. I guess using a dining room chair at the desk was not a good idea.
cool pad!
exercise several times a week
I was in a wreck and broke the window with my fist. It still hurts especially when it is cold.
i hope i win
my hand falls asleep in 5 min whils holding the mouse i need help
I have a bad back so I use this old heater under my desk as a rest stool at my job. Yes I work for a lawyer.
Thanks.
With this pad, I’ll be able to enter more sweepstakes!
i hopei win
My Mother was about 22 when she worked at a restaurant in GreenHills, Tn setting up the breakfast bar. After a few weeks of lifting 27 lb tubs she ended up at the hospital because her fingers were tingling so bad she couldn’t stand it. They put a cast on her and she found out she had carpel tunnel syndrome. Now she takes it easier and cuts down on her 5 hour garden pruning and such or it will affect her. She doesn’t want to have to have surgery, so sometimes when she has to she wears a removable wrist guard. She could really use it, she’s 48 and still types quite a bit.
I would love to win this pad
I have tedonitis in my right elbow and carpal tunnel is starting and I am on the computer all day – I have a brace on right now and use ice and pain relievers when it flares up.
I’ve worn out 3 ergonomic mouse pads. More people should consider these low cost preventative measures.