posted
Do any of you get a sore wrist after a long drawing session with the mouse?
Is there a wrist position for mouse work that is less of a strain on the wrist?
How about tablets? Nobody ever heard of carpal tunnel syndrome until the mouse came along. Are tablets easier to use?
Are any of you 'heads an orthopaedic surgeon in your spare time? Do you give a letterhead discount? Just kidding here, but would like to hear about sore wrists. Vic G
------------------ Victor Georgiou AnchorBlanks.com Jack Wills Clipart CD's Designs Cut to Any Size Serving the Trade Only
Posts: 1746 | From: Danville, CA , USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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posted
Victor, I have suffered with CT for many years, some say I should get the surgery, but that would mean having my arm in a cast for a few weeks....I wear braces made just for CT, (keeps your wrists in a nuetral position)and sleep with them on most every night. If I don't I wake up early in the am in a lot of pain......just about everything makes my fingers go numb, from typing, using the mouse or drawing, painting,driving etc. Try the braces first, you may not need anything else. Adrienne
------------------ Adrienne Morgan Splash Signs www.splashsigns.com "Rainkatt'on chat
posted
I'm in denial about CT, but I was diagnosed with "Mouse finger" once. (Don't go there!!!)
Back when I was on a Mac, OS4 or something, we had to hold that dang mouse button down the whole time... scrolling down the kick down menus was the worst offender of this constant pressure button.
The large knuckle of my index finger would lock up in pain and I was as useless as... well you can get "there" without my help here.
Being ambidextrous, I started using the mouse with my left hand to relieve the right hand, but that was a hassle. I can type better with my left hand and mouse faster with my right.
So they sent me to a nerve specialist and he hooked me up to 220 (well it felt like it at least! ) and he gave me a few zaps to see how the messages traveled through my arms to my finger tips and then sent me home with, "I don't know" as the diagnoses, and he said with a chuckle, "Looks like you have Mouse Finger. Get a different Mouse" It was a Workers Comp issue- you think they were gonna dig into this "new discovery"???? Nope, avoided it like the Plague had returned. So, being the wimp I was at 24, I got a new mouse- a TracBall type with a thumb clicking button and a giant ball I rolled around with my index and middle fingers to make the cursor move on the screen.
I LOVED it... no one else could stand it. So ultimately I got my "own" computer station in a multi-artist work area and I was happy as a loon and my finger didn't hurt anymore.
Now that I'm on a PC most of the time (3-5 days out of 7) I use mostly the LogiTech MouseMan Wheel (with the laser light instead of the little ball in it's belly button) and I get flashbacks of "Mouse Finger", but that's only because I've been on the computer for 16 hours straight!!! Take a break!
The When you are your own boss it sucks to be the employee side of the Moon
P.S. To relieve the strain I use a mouse pad with a gel pad for my wrist. I LOVE it and Heath hates it... so he has to change mouse pads to use my computer and darn it if the only flat pad I have is my giant mouse pad that says "Size Does Matter" that I got from buy.com for ordering so much crap from them. For some reason Heath doesn't like that mouse pad... neither did the guys at the Newspaper when I brought it to work way back when. I'm such a chit. LOL
------------------ The Moon aka: Stefenie Harris Moonlight Designs Pollock Pines, CA learnin' somethin' new every day!
Posts: 550 | From: Pollock Pines, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
This is a very painful condition. I know that because I had this a few years back. Believe it or not but exercise will help carpal tunnel syndrome. Talk to a physiotherapist about specific exercises. Also take a few days off and try the using hot keys instead of the mouse. One more thing you can try is to get your mouse off of the top of your desk. We find that the mouse should be in a position where your arm is resting on a desk at 90 degrees and relaxed.
------------------ Kevin Landry KnL Signs Halifax NS
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I had CT in both hands. One was not too bad until I had to use it all the time while the other one healed. Then I ended up having to have the left one done too. Before the surgery it got so bad that the brace did not help take the pain away. I wore out a brace and had to get another one. I could not sleep well because of the pain and the Tylenol got to the point it did not help the pain. I could not hold things as my hand was weak and would lose its grip. And driving was difficult too. I had the older surgery that took 6 weeks to heal. But I know people who had the newer laser surgery that it only takes 2 weeks to heal. My hands are fine now and I got the strength back. I know one lady who did not want the surgery and she waited too long. By the time she had the surgery done she had permanent nerve damage in one hand. I also read after my surgery that if you take your fingers and pull them back toward your wrist it can relieve the pressure on the nerves. But I do not know if it works. But it is worth a try.
posted
WAKE UP FOLKS!!!! BEWARE!!!! DON'T DIAGNOSE YOUR SYMPTOMS AS THE PROBLEM!!!
A lady in our office was doing the same thing you are doing. She thought that CT was the problems. Oh, she had it, but the big problem was reumatoid arthritis. This is a early 30's year old woman.
posted
I had similar symptoms,,except mine was in my shoulder joint....several months of exercise ( 11 months ) and I have about 90% use again, and the pain has almost gone...... Shep'
------------------ Arvil Shep' Shepherd Art by Shep Oak Island, NC shep@ec.rr.com http://artbyshep.homestead.com/index.html
posted
Catch it before it gets too advanced and Chiropractic can also help tremendously. Of course the surgeons will never tell you this. CT is the flattening of that tunnel and manipulation by a Chiropractor can reshape the tunnel back to near normal to take the pressure off the nerve bundle.
------------------ Dave Sherby "Sandman" SherWood Sign & Graphic Design Crystal Falls, MI 49920 906-875-6201 ICQ: 21604027 sherwood@up.net
Posts: 5400 | From: Crystal Falls, MI USA | Registered: Apr 1999
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A tablet/pen will help a lot. I was going through something similar a couple years back. I had the computer set up so the I could easily switch back and forth between the pen and the mouse. It helped to break the repetitive movement and give my wrist time to heal without losing production.
posted
Victor, I've heard of a surgical procedure where they go in and clip the ligament which presses on the median nerve and this relieves the problem.
My hands used to hurt and go numb constantly when I was a forklift operator at the factory. Also, I used to regularly use a stroke sander with the same results. Since I quit those "professions" I seldom have trouble with it. If I use a hammer for any length of time, my right hand goes numb. So, I bought an air nailer.
I think the mouse problem for me has a lot to do with chair height in relation to the desk/mouse pad. My old desk was too high and caused wrist pain but this one doesn't.
------------------ "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." Albert Einstein
Failure to advertise is a lot like blinking in the dark. Nobody, but you, knows what you're doing.
posted
Go to an office/computer supply such as Staples or whatever is closest to you & get a mouse pad that has a nice cushy (posibly gel filled) wrist pad built right on it.
Works great!
------------------ Bill Cosharek Bill Cosharek Signs 1031 Whitehead Lane N.Huntingdon,Pa 15642 bcosharek@juno.com
Posts: 703 | From: N.Huntingdon, Pa, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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posted
Listen to Santo. Self diagnosis is dangerous and foolish. Just because there is numbness or pain in the hands or wrist, doesn't mean it is carpal tunnel. Pinched nerves in the neck and/or a myriad of other causes could be the culprit. Reminds me of the golfer Jose Maria Olazabal who's career was put on hold for a couple of years because of severe pain in his feet. Got so bad walking was difficult. The best doctors in the world had him diaganosed with many things including arthritis of the joints in the feet. Turned out to be inflamed nerves in the lower spinal area.
------------------ Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Since 1978 www.wrightsigns.bigstep.com All change isn't progress, and all progress isn't forward.
Posts: 2785 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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posted
I too, had carpal tunnel but I had surgery on both hands. I put up with the pain way too long because it started up into my shoulders-which I now suffer with. B6 helps tremenously but it takes 6 weeks of taking it every day before you will see a difference. I have talked to others that had surgery but got no relief but that was because of where their doctors operated. Their doctors made an incision part way up the arm instead of in the palm.
------------------ Laura Butler Vision Graphics and Sign 560 Oak St. Lapeer, Mi 48446 810-664-3812 visiongraphics@tir.com
"Anything thats comes from my shop, comes from the right brain."
Posts: 2855 | From: Attica, Mi, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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A tennis pro once told me, if the elbow hurts when you hit the ball, your swing is wrong.
I'm inclined to think the same thing about using the mouse. Tablet use to minimize repetive stress, cushy mouse pads, track balls, and mouse position on the table all sound like good ideas worth pursuing. I also believe that exercise does things to the body that the doctors don't really understand - exercise cures lots of things. And chiropractors do relieve a lot of pain.
It's time for a trip to Fry's Electronics. Or maybe Amazon.
Thanks for all your good advice. Vic G
------------------ Victor Georgiou AnchorBlanks.com Jack Wills Clipart CD's Designs Cut to Any Size Serving the Trade Only
Posts: 1746 | From: Danville, CA , USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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I have all three...tracking ball mouse, regular mouse, and Wacom tablet with stylus pen.
I like the tracking ball the best. I can just move my finger over the ball to position the cursor, then click with my thumb. There is no holding the mouse in a grip. The arm still gets sore, so sometimes I move the tracking ball mouse to my lap, or rest it on my leg.
The Wacom tablet is also nice, however, the tablet is so sensitve, you can delete everything on the screen in a heartbeat and not know what the heck happened. As the pen nears the top edge of the working surface, there are all sorts of menu commands at the top of the tablet....like delete or copy, or paste. If you are not carfull, you could hack right into microsoft because things go real screwy when that stylus goes off the working surface.
So, I only use the Wacom when working in Photo Paint to do digital airbrush creations, or anything that requires very accurate rendering.
Again, the best thing for the hand and arm, at least for me, is the tracking ball mouse.
------------------ Draper The Signmaker Bloomington Illinois USA Get To A Letterhead Meet This Summer! See you there! 309-828-7110 drapersigns@hotmail.com Draper_Dave on mIRC chat
Posts: 2883 | From: Bloomington Illinois USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Victor another thing I just remembered....if you can get up to Harvest House natural foods in Concord (on Monument Blvd.)they carry a suppliment that seemed to help tremendously.....(Debbie's post reminded me) it's called 'Carpaltun' I think it has pineapple bromines, B-6, and other stuff. I had CT really bad one Christmas (windows) and a friend gave me a bottle. I dunno, but the pain started to go away in a few days. Call me and I will get you the store number if you can't find it in the phone book. A
------------------ Adrienne Morgan Splash Signs www.splashsigns.com "Rainkatt'on chat
posted
The last time I tried one of the pens was probably 8-10 years ago and I'm sure they've come a long way since then. But, since my experience was back in the dark ages, I can't really offer advice on that. I have used the wrist rest pads, didn't help me. Perhaps I was still working at the wrong angle, I dunno. I have also used the wrsit wrap/brace type things. I like them, but don't expect to keep them on for 8 hours straight. Your arm will start to sweat under it and itch and you'll have to take it off for a bit. They take time to get them broke in too. Not too long, it's like a new pair of shoes. Best thing to do with these is find somewhere (Staples, maybe a medical supply place) that has them on stock and you can try them on. DO NOT order one from a catalog or online without having tried it on. You gotta find one that feels good to you. They're fairly inexpensive too (think mine was between $10-$15), so if it doesn't hlep you're not out a lot of $. I agree with everyone telling you to go to a doctor to diagnose yourself. However, If you're like me, (no medical coverage except my old checkbook). This is why I tried the $15 wrist brace before the who-knows-how-much-$ doctor, test, etc. It may just be that your wrist is weak (my problem, you'd think after fighting with the mouse this long I woulda grew muscles in it) in which case the brace will help. If these cheap, simple doctor-less suggestions don't help and you should unfortunately have to go through surgery, look around. Get surgeon referals from several doctors, talk to people who have had it done (if you can't find anyone, ask around. Check the deli. A lot of women who work in delis have carpal tunnel from running the meat cutters). I'm telling you this because I had a friend, his mother had it done. Twice. The first doctor didn't do it properly and her comment was she wished she would've looked for someone else who had it done before she got hers done.
------------------ Chris King Paper Works & Graphix Indiana, PA
Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Almost forgot. If you need to go to a doctor, DO NOT let them talk you into steroid shots. My grandfather was given those 2-3 years ago. He has been having serious medical problems ever since (the doctor gave him too many). We were told the other day it is just a matter of time. (maybe a week, maybe a month, probably not any longer). Steroids help build up the muscles, but can cause other damage.
------------------ Chris King Paper Works & Graphix Indiana, PA
Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
If you 'truly' have CT, then I suggest getting the surgery. I had it very bad in both wrists (was a milk maid, once on the farm...that's how I got it). The surgery did not take very long to heal at all (do one wrist at a time, though)...and it has lasted me over twenty years now. It certainly was the answer for me.
Sending picture of me as a milkmaid (years ago, of course)...hope this pic appears for you...have been having trouble posting pictures lately, for some reason.
) and he gave me a few zaps to see how the messages traveled through my arms to my finger tips and then sent me home with, "I don't know" as the diagnoses, and he said with a chuckle, "Looks like you have Mouse Finger. Get a different Mouse" It was a Workers Comp issue- you think they were gonna dig into this "new discovery"???? Nope, avoided it like the Plague had returned. So, being the wimp I was at 24, I got a new mouse- a TracBall type with a thumb clicking button and a giant ball I rolled around with my index and middle fingers to make the cursor move on the screen.
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