Tag Archives: carpal tunnel syndrome

The Hazards of Being a Transcriptionist

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This blog is part of a series on transcription. If you haven’t read the other blogs in this series, make sure to check out the summary page for a listing of all transcription blogs. Thanks! Although transcriptionists don’t run the same health risks as other professions, there are still some very real health problems that transcriptionists can run into. One is aching and hurting wrists. Many people who type day in and day out end up developing arthritis in their hands and have to have surgery done to repair the damage (my mother just underwent hand surgery for this reason–hi … Continue reading →

Programs to Help You Make the Switch

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If you are thinking about switching from Qwerty to Dvorak, there are a couple of things to bear in mind. First of all, the switch probably isn’t going to benefit you a whole lot unless you have a job that has you typing a lot, like computer programming, freelance writing, transcription–jobs like that. If your job is flipping burgers or ringing up customers, you aren’t going to be typing enough to justify the time and agony involved with switching keyboards. This doesn’t mean that you can’t teach your kids the Dvorak layout, however. Even if our generation was too dumb … Continue reading →

Your Genes and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

A recent study from Harvard Medical School says that your genetics may play a bigger role in carpal tunnel than repetitive motion or too much keyboard time. So what is carpal tunnel syndrome? Your arm has a nerve called the median nerve that runs down the arm and into the hand, controlling some of the sensations to thumb and your first three fingers. At the wrist, the median nerve passes through a space called the carpal tunnel. If the nerve becomes compressed or squeezed in the carpal tunnel, you can experience tingling (like pins-and-needles when a limb falls asleep), pain, … Continue reading →

Stay Healthy And Sane At The Office

It can be hard to head back to work after the weekend. You had two glorious days to do whatever you wanted… and now you’re back on somebody else’s time. It can be stressful and discouraging — and encourage unhealthy habits! Here are some tips to help keep you healthy and sane on Monday morning and beyond. Try to add a fifteen minute physical break to your daily schedule. Whether you walk up and down the stairs, do laps of the parking lot, or gather your friends in the break room for some stretching, do something physical! Studies show that … Continue reading →

Massage for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

I was a bad girl. Instead of calling the doctor about my recent wrist pain (which I suspect may be carpal tunnel syndrome), I called my massage therapist. Massage therapists are not supposed to diagnose or recommend treatment. But they sure do know a heck of a lot about the human body, how everything works and how everything is connected. She told me that there is a nerve that runs from the neck through the shoulder and down the arm into the hand. That nerve could have issues way up in the neck that end up causing pain in the … Continue reading →

Do I Have… Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

I’m sitting at my desk, left wrist wrapped up in a nifty black brace thingy I picked up at CVS on Saturday… trying desperately NOT to twist my wrist the wrong way. After a few months of periodic pins-and-needles sensations in both hands, my left wrist has erupted into the occasional shooting pain followed by dull ache. So… I hit up www.WebMD.com to investigate my symptoms. If you are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, you may experience the following: Tingling or numbness in the palm and fingers Burning or itching in the palm and fingers A need to “shake out” … Continue reading →