From the tab and backspace I stab at thee...

[gement]

Tendonitis has been gnawing at me for the last couple of months, on and off. It's come to my attention that I need to nip this in the bud. I feel it in my wrists, my thumbs, and the depths of my elbows (the tendon that drives the rest of the fingers). I know friends who deal with REAL chronic pain, so I was tempted to ignore this, but then I realized that's often how it starts, so let's talk now.

I've seen the "prayer" stretch, though it doesn't seem to stretch the right things. The yoga "Dog" stretch loosens up my shoulders, which helps peripherally but doesn't address the main problem. I've got an ergo keyboard now, I've been adjusting the heights and distances every which way...

But every time my pinky reaches for the tab (I do Excel all day) or the backspace (I have to correct typos regularly), unless I'm REALLY conscious, my hand twists and I ache. Any time of day, except when my hands have been resting all weekend, I can touch the funny bone hollow behind my elbow and feel the ow ow ow tendon. My finger knuckles have popped constantly (but not painfully) for the last three years since I started typing day jobs.

My massage therapist says he submerges his arms in hothot water at night until they're pink and parboiled, which promotes blood and lymph movement and thus healing. He says it hurts worse at the time, because of swelling, but that's why you do it before bed, not in the morning before work.

Tylik suggests I bring in my sitting ball and sit on it at work, which would certainly help my overall useage, but (like Dog) I'm not sure my wrist problem will benefit more than peripherally.

I'm trying to figure out if there are more stretches I should be doing, if I should pick up drug store wrist braces to train myself out of twisting when I hit tab, if there's something I'm missing here.

Must fix. Suggestions and resources appreciated.

Comments

[airlinepilot.livejournal.com]

Two things:
Potassium... bananas and other foods. I've found my joints hurt less when I make sure I get potassium. Don't know why, but it is.

Dvorak keyboard layout. If it's YOUR keyboard you may want to try remapping the keys. You do know that the QWERTY keyboard was DESIGNED to be inefficient, don't you?

*hugs*

[gement.livejournal.com]

I tried to learn Dvorak once, and I might try again. It's the training period in between that plays havoc with my typing speed in both mappings. Until I can type without ever ever looking at my fingers, I can't get away with it at work.

I will consider whether it's time to learn Dvorak, and keep drinking my gallons and gallons of milk, which hopefully cover the potassium base. I've also had time-release vitamin C recommended for wrist/nerve stuff.