Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/08/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I make the following comments as one who ended up with a permanent partial disability - as classified by workman's comp - from 23 years of daily pounding on a typewriter under "unergonomic" conditions... Don't get hung up on what is or isn't "carpal tunnel syndrome." It's all Repetitive Stress Injury" and it's all an enormous bitch. You may find you get kinks in your neck and/or shoulders, have problems with your elbows, wrists, fingers, forearms, etc. You may develop one form of tendenitis or another. And the treatment for all of it is rest, strengthening exercises, anti-inflammatories, heat or cold. I can not strongly enough urge anyone who is going to spend any real time working on a computer to invest in the absolute best chair they can possibly afford. I highly recommend the Aeron, from Herman Miller, which is now about $900 and is found in a number of catalogues. This chair is adjustable up, down, forward, back, has a mesh seat and back, deeply padded arms - which protects the tendons that cross the elbows - and the arms go up and down,and swivel left and right. I would literally spend less on the computer and more on the chair if I had to make the choice. Also, while anti-inflamatories are a godsend, be careful. I have discovered that after eating Advil daily for 10 years I developed a sensitivity to NSAIDS that causes them to trigger asthma attacks...(honest, I'm not a nut.) The bottom line is that all this stuff is for real....The human body was NOT designed to sit, and it certainly wasn't designed for all these repetitive motions. Take LOTS of breaks - every 10 to 15 minutes. And good luck... P.S. Oh, and remember that an awful lot of "doctors" wouldn't know RSI or CTS if they got it themselves, and don't believe that it's real. B. D. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Michael Bell Sent: Friday, August 06, 1999 4:34 PM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: Re: [Leica] Carpal Tunnel I used to have a great deal of pain in my thumb and index finger on my right hand. Not sure if it was technically carpal tunnel or not. Anyway, a great deal of my computer work involves the mouse. I switched to a Kensington TurboMouse track ball and it made all the difference in the world. It was a little awkward at first, but I really love it now. And as others have said, a good chair and good posture is very important. Be careful out there. Michael Bell MBell@mail.utexas.edu