Ask HN: wrist pain

Clickable link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=JQn_2fz7zs_2ff7Dkdcp_2...

I switched to a Logitech trackball for awhile, which helped. I am now happily back to a regular Logitech optical mouse (more precise control than the trackball for me).

All my (transient) hand and wrist pains have gone away since I started doing pushups, crawling, pullups, etc. I think they were just weak, not an RSI problem.

Get a pair of $3 sport wristbands to keep your wrist joints warm and flexible.

Bizarrely, the flat Apple keyboards are the nicest and least RSI-inducing keyboards I've ever used.

About 4 years ago, I was 22 at the time, I started experiencing pain in my right wrist and forearm. Once the pain became unbearable, I started using the mouse with my left hand. Almost immediately I experienced pain in my left wrist and forearm. Initially I thought it was Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I went to physical therapy 3 times a week for about 6 months with little or no benefit. I started reading books on RSI, trigger points, and myofascial pain. I was afraid that I would need to switch careers (I'm a programmer). My attitude towards work changed drastically and my want to use a computer outside of work became nil. I started cutting out of work early and going to more meetings. I did anything that would keep me away from the computer. Driving became painful. I had to quit lifting weights and playing sports since they worsened the pain. I then saw a surgeon who (you guessed it) said I needed surgery on my forearms. I left his office confused and psychologically broken. I decided surgery would be my last resort and I would try any noninvasive approach. I enrolled in physical therapy (different therapist) for another 3 months and stopped going. This round of therapy was actually making the pain and numbness worse. I tried wrist braces which also made the pain worse. My wife found a myofasical treatment center in Chicago (http://www.myopain.com/). After my 1 hour visit, the intensity of the pain decreased. I left armed with the knowledge to treat my pain. That was almost 2 years ago and I have been virtually pain free. I had a week where the pain started coming back about 6 months ago. I went back in for another hour appointment and she diagnosed my problem again. So to sum things up:

* I started experiencing pain in my wrists and forearms about 4 years ago

* After 6 months, the pain became so intense I started working less and avoided my computer as much as possible

* Went to physical therapy where they misdiagnosed my problem

* Stopped physical therapy after 6 months or so

* Was recommended to a surgeon who (big surprise) wanted to do surgery.

* Tried a different physical therapist

* Tried wrist braces

* Went to the myo pain center in Chicago http://www.myopain.com/

* I was able to treat myself after a 1 hour visit at the myopain center * Went from being able to work on a computer unbearably 35 hours a week to 70+ virtually pain free (when I worked for a YC startup)

* I now work from home and have made some ergonomic changes that have also helped:

The top of my monitor is at eye level.

I use a trackball and the Microsoft 4000 ergonomic keyboard.

I got an overstuffed thick pillow which helped support my neck when sleeping on my side.

I use this book to find and treat the trigger points: http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Self-Tr...

My "other" answers were:

Switched mouse to left (sub-dominant) hand.

Keyboard with "trackpoint" pointing device.

Dvorak keyboard layout, with caps-lock as an additional control key.

Prefer keyboard-driven software (bash shell, tiling window manager, vim text editor, QuickSilver and Gnome Do launchers, etc.).

In 2003 I started experiencing wrist pain when using mouse. As it became unbearable, this is what I did: - Went to see a doctor, without any results - Switched mouse from right to left hand. It took around 10 days to come to speed with left hand. - Right wrist continued to be painful as soon as I get a mouse with it. It took around 4 years to be able to take mouse with it without pain.

Recently I started to use mouse with right hand again and problem didn't reappear yet.

I am also more aware of the way how I handle the mouse - try not to use a ot of force when handling mouse. Switch to wireless mouse, for example.

make sure you don't bend your wrist when typing and you have proper keyboard form

I too developed really bad wrist pain - mine was from too much autocad and solidworks.

My secrets were to: 1. Use a good chair and keyboard tray. always. 2. train my left hand to mouse and switch off 3. use an upright mouse. http://www.evoluent.com/ It's a little expensive, but it's a good product. I now have one for each hand so i can switch off everyone once in a while. 4. Also - wean yourself off the little mouse scroll wheel. Use window zooming for cad and hold down the middle button to scroll on web pages.

I injured a great many tendons and ligaments in my dominant hand/arm/upper quadrant of my torso (right upper extremity) while taking tennis in college at age 19. I had crippling pain on and off for many years. I got quite good at mousing left-handed and did that any time my right hand was just not functional. With getting myself generally healthier, my tendon problems have also cleared up.

I did "feed" my tendons for some years by taking gelatin as a supplement. That helped but didn't cure the problem. I have concluded that that there is infection involved and that killing infection is essentially what resolved my problem. I now wipe my key board and mouse down with peroxide every single day at the start of the workday, in part to help keep this problem from coming back.

I have had a bone graft on my right wrist from an injury when I was younger and find using a mouse for long periods of time quite awkward.

The best solution I have found is to use a Wacom tablet instead of a mouse. Using a writing implement is far better for my wrist than anything else I have tried (wrist rests, trackball).