RSI Flare-Up!

Repetitive motion can do a number on your joints. This is part of why ergonomics are so important: the right alignment for your body and workspace, stretching, and taking breaks can help prevent repetitive strain injury. If you have a problem area — a joint that tends to suffer from repetitive strain issues — it’s not unheard of to have a flare-up from time to time. Maybe it’s been so long since you experienced symptoms that you overdid it. Maybe a new task is aggravating an old injury. When an old injury comes back to life, there are a few … Continue reading

Writing with a Wrist Injury

In case you’re worried — I’m not the one with the wrist injury. Thank goodness! I have a friend who has rheumatoid arthritis AND tendinitis, leaving her at the computer with only one hand for typing. So what happens when you can’t type (or do other hand-centric tasks) but you need to? I’d be up a creek without a paddle if I couldn’t find my way to tippity tap on the keyboard! My friend is struggling with her wrist-related restrictions. The way she sees it, she has a few options: Stay away from the computer and get no work done. … 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