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

[gement.livejournal.com]

I would love to sample your wares...

I'm pretty booked until Friday, but let me know when you might swing by the neighborhood, or even drop your samples in my mailslot if we can't meet up soon.

[tylik.livejournal.com]

Are you ever around campus? Or the I-dist? Hmmm... not sure what I'm schedule is going to be like beyond Friday or so myself.

I'd kind of like the chance to poke at you -- the elbow involvement is kind of weird, and I've been talking with my PT about general strengthening of the midback in support of shoulder issues... (We thing we have an undescribed syndrome here -- she calls it "Microsoft Neck". I just know that it's an issue for a lot of my taiji students...)

[gement.livejournal.com]

I'm coming THROUGH campus three nights this week on my way to Greenwood. We could hook up somewhere in there perhaps. I will call you on my bus ride this evening.