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Do you work on the computer/laptop/mobile/tablet for hours?

WebMedic

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Hi everyone,

This is a public service announcement to anyone who uses their computer/laptop/mobile/tablet for hours.

There is a massive risk called RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury).

The problem with RSI is that it starts with minimal pain/discomfort, your body seems normal...

Until it suddenly evolves into bigger problems (ex: tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome).

If you are having ANY pain/discomfort no matter how little, DO NOT IGNORE IT.

The solution at the beginning is fairly simple:

- Fix your posture! Do not lean over the laptop or computer, do not sit in awkward positions while browsing your mobile devices.

- Use an ergonomic keyboard / mouse.

- Most importantly: do stretches and do them often (every 20 minutes).

References:

https://managewp.com/how-to-prevent-repetitive-strain-injuries-at-your-computer
 
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LPPC

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I suffer from RSI, it's no fun. Tip: switch mouse arm every 5 mins
 

amp0193

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- Fix your posture! Do not lean over the laptop or computer, do not sit in awkward positions while browsing your mobile devices.

My posture sucks. What are some tips to fix the bad habit?
 

Andy Black

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WebMedic

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I suffer from RSI, it's no fun. Tip: switch mouse arm every 5 mins

Tip: Ice helps a lot! freeze small water bottle or get an ice pack, wrap it with a slim cloth and cover the part that hurts in your arm for as long as possible and repeat around the area.
 

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Buy an Armaid. Best massage tool for your forearms. ZAPS away wrist pain FAST.

PM me if you want to buy a used one. TODAY ONLY
 

DaRK9

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I use a standing desk and an anti fatigue mat.
 

WebMedic

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@WebMedic

I have rsi in my shoulders, upper arms and neck. Do you think there is a possibility to heal it?

Sorry for late reply.

I am not a doctor (might be confusing that WebMedic is an online doctor, it's actually website doctor as in website maintenance).

Recently found out that if you use muscle relaxing medicine/cream it can help, because of computer usage our muscles are strained which can cause more tendon/nerve irritation.
 

nradam123

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I use a standing desk and an anti fatigue mat.

Serious? Can you give a few pics or links?

And how long do you work like that? Can you work over 10 hours?
 
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DaRK9

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My posture sucks. What are some tips to fix the bad habit?

Not a fix for bad habits (though Andy's post about being mindful of one thing is important and it's helped me): Try to elevate your computer monitor with books, or whatever flat object is laying around, so your neutral direction of vision is more upwards (straighter spine) than downwards (hunched over).
 

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I am 90% sure I have found the cause for my shoulder and upper arm pain. The cause is trigger points in my back. The trigger point in my back sends pain to my shoulder area. Look into the ''trigger point therapy workbook'' for dissolving trigger points.

The underlying problem causing these trigger points might be poor posture, especially during computer work.
 
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Mikkel

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@WebMedic

I have rsi in my shoulders, upper arms and neck. Do you think there is a possibility to heal it?

Big tips would be to rest your body. The reason you have RSI is because of the "R" - repetitive.

You're body cannot heal from something because you are consistently putting medium forces onto a part of a body repeatedly which can cause trauma.

Injury possibility:
Large Force one time
Medium force repetitively
Small force over a long period of time

All of these can cause injury to your body. I suggest going to a Physical Therapist as they can diagnose the point of injury and can give you exercises to eliminate this problem.

Trigger Points can be fixed also quite simply by going to a Physical Therapist. I could go into the science of it, but in reality you just need to get it treated.

Reference: I go to school for Physical Therapy. Trigger points is one of the first things we learn for treatment.
 

LPPC

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Big tips would be to rest your body. The reason you have RSI is because of the "R" - repetitive.

You're body cannot heal from something because you are consistently putting medium forces onto a part of a body repeatedly which can cause trauma.

Injury possibility:
Large Force one time
Medium force repetitively
Small force over a long period of time

All of these can cause injury to your body. I suggest going to a Physical Therapist as they can diagnose the point of injury and can give you exercises to eliminate this problem.

Trigger Points can be fixed also quite simply by going to a Physical Therapist. I could go into the science of it, but in reality you just need to get it treated.

Reference: I go to school for Physical Therapy. Trigger points is one of the first things we learn for treatment.

Thank you for the advice. After finding out about my trigger points, I also went to the physiotherapist. She told me that I have a bad posture and gave me exercises to strengthen my core and back and shoulder muscles. She said that I need to train my body to handle more forces and to correct my posture (head forward, chest area going too far backward causing inbalance). After telling her about my trigger points, she told me that the cause of my trigger points are bad posture. Fixing bad posture should automatically dissolve trigger points. I'm really questioning that statement and I am treating my trigger points with a tennis ball myself.

What do you think about my physiotherapist not actively massaging me for trigger points?
 

Mikkel

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Thank you for the advice. After finding out about my trigger points, I also went to the physiotherapist. She told me that I have a bad posture and gave me exercises to strengthen my core and back and shoulder muscles. She said that I need to train my body to handle more forces and to correct my posture (head forward, chest area going too far backward causing inbalance). After telling her about my trigger points, she told me that the cause of my trigger points are bad posture. Fixing bad posture should automatically dissolve trigger points. I'm really questioning that statement and I am treating my trigger points with a tennis ball myself.

What do you think about my physiotherapist not actively massaging me for trigger points?

Interesting.

Take my words with a grain of salt, as I am not certified yet. I'm still in graduate school so I am still learning. However, she is not wrong in telling you that good posture will fix your problem. I do find it interesting that she wouldn't release your trigger points, as I believe she should set your body up for success. However, each PT has their own methods of treating patients. It may be motivation to strengthen your core and have better posture which will in turn fix your problem.

Something you MAY want to look into is something called Rolfing (not golfing ;).) It's like PT on steroids, works for most but not all.

It is believed that a body in perfect harmony, will have no mechanical ailments for the most part. Rolfing takes this concept and will literally move your body into the proper position in just 10 hours. It is a series of 10 one hour sessions. I really think this would be perfect for the modern day computer entrepreneur who is sitting in a less than optimal position for most of the day.

My PT teach has had it done on him. He was telling our class that he would have to re-adjust his mirror every time he finished his Rolfing session because he was taller... due to his spine being more properly aligned.

Something to try. No promises that it will work, but this is a great full body realignment. You still will need to strengthen your muscles as your muscles will keep your body in the proper position once you are done with Rolfing.

Link to the official Rolfing website. <-- think it is the official one :wideyed:
 

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I try to switch things up with how I use my laptop.

I'll use my regular desk, a standing desk, I'll sit on a couch with the laptop on my lap, I'll put my laptop on my kitchen table, etc.

The more I switch the better I feel. Some of these positions I keep for 20 minutes and some for an hour or so.
 

WebMedic

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Update on my RSI (Tendonitis):

- It's been getting better and better now, it's a mixture of:

# Fixed posture by using:
Roost Stand for my laptop: https://www.therooststand.com/
Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard
Kensington Trackball mouse

- Less typing on my phone, I try to do most the typing using the keyboard as much as possible
- Use of cream called "Reparil Gel N" on my arms
- Stretching
- Eating a lot of anti-inflammatory food for example pomegranate

I had bumps around my fingers from the inflamed tendons that are now almost completely disappearing.

Hope this helps.
 
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LPPC

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Update on my RSI (Tendonitis):

- It's been getting better and better now, it's a mixture of:

# Fixed posture by using:
Roost Stand for my laptop: https://www.therooststand.com/
Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard
Kensington Trackball mouse

- Less typing on my phone, I try to do most the typing using the keyboard as much as possible
- Use of cream called "Reparil Gel N" on my arms
- Stretching
- Eating a lot of anti-inflammatory food for example pomegranate

I had bumps around my fingers from the inflamed tendons that are now almost completely disappearing.

Hope this helps.
Good to hear you are getting better man! Yesterday I spent too much time on my phone and now I'm suffering the pain from it. I often think about quitting work all together for 3 months and just go travel. Then maybe my RSI will be gone.
 

WebMedic

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Good to hear you are getting better man! Yesterday I spent too much time on my phone and now I'm suffering the pain from it. I often think about quitting work all together for 3 months and just go travel. Then maybe my RSI will be gone.

Like you I thought of quitting and going on a trip maybe where there's a lot of nature to explore but need to be working now, can't take that kind of trip just yet.

Try to fix it by changing your diet and routine first, I can't believe it has worked for me - my fingers were swollen and it was scary to think it could only get worse.

From my understanding it really boils down to your body needing to fix it self which happens by 2 things:

1. Change in the way you do things, as Mikkel here mentioned R is for repetitive so we need to slow down on whatever repetitive action we do (take more breaks, read books, write on paper instead of keyboard if you can)
2. Diet! What you eat affects your health and how soon you can recover.

You want to stop eating sugar, fast food and less processed food as much as possible.

You want to eat more fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Your body will repair itself.

Check out Dr McDougal where he talks about diet and how it can cure incurable diseases: https://www.drmcdougall.com

All the best!
 

LPPC

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Like you I thought of quitting and going on a trip maybe where there's a lot of nature to explore but need to be working now, can't take that kind of trip just yet.

Try to fix it by changing your diet and routine first, I can't believe it has worked for me - my fingers were swollen and it was scary to think it could only get worse.

From my understanding it really boils down to your body needing to fix it self which happens by 2 things:

1. Change in the way you do things, as Mikkel here mentioned R is for repetitive so we need to slow down on whatever repetitive action we do (take more breaks, read books, write on paper instead of keyboard if you can)
2. Diet! What you eat affects your health and how soon you can recover.

You want to stop eating sugar, fast food and less processed food as much as possible.

You want to eat more fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Your body will repair itself.

Check out Dr McDougal where he talks about diet and how it can cure incurable diseases: https://www.drmcdougall.com

All the best!
Thank you. I'm actively working on my routine and my diet has always been good. Hopefully this will all be over soon.
 
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As someone who's done sports and athletics all his life, I can tell you it's strange that the most injury I've caused my body is probably from long periods sitting on the computer. Recently I've gotten reoccurring pains in the tendons in my wrists and hands now, which really sucks. I gotta ease up, or I'm actually gonna and up with tendonitis or carpal tunnel, maybe both.
 

Jesus

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My posture sucks. What are some tips to fix the bad habit?

When you don't stand or sit straight and you hunch over with time this causes a muscular imbalance where your back muscles stretch further and you chest muscles shrink leading to bad posture. To correct this stretch your chest muscles as often as possible and strengthen your core back muscles. What ever you do, don't workout your chest because this will make you chest muscles tighter cause an even bigger hunch leading to more pain and trigger points. Once you correct your posture than workout your body evenly. Something that also helps with maintaining a good posture are rounded shoulders braces that are sold by online retailers like amazon and can be worn under clothing. Just search it.
 

amp0193

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When you don't stand or sit straight and you hunch over with time this causes a muscular imbalance where your back muscles stretch further and you chest muscles shrink leading to bad posture. To correct this stretch your chest muscles as often as possible and strengthen your core back muscles. What ever you do, don't workout your chest because this will make you chest muscles tighter cause an even bigger hunch leading to more pain and trigger points. Once you correct your posture than workout your body evenly. Something that also helps with maintaining a good posture are rounded shoulders braces that are sold by online retailers like amazon and can be worn under clothing. Just search it.

Rep+

Ordered a rounded shoulder brace on Amazon.

I do bench press once a week, but that's the only "chest" specific thing that I do. My core is getting a lot stronger from rock climbing and deadlifts.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.
 
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mayana

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To correct this stretch your chest muscles as often as possible and strengthen your core back muscles.

Solid advice. I also have a back roller which I use exactly for this purpose (lengthwise down the spine) to let my shoulders hang down and stretch the chest muscles.
 

Jesus

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Rep+

Ordered a rounded shoulder brace on Amazon.

I do bench press once a week, but that's the only "chest" specific thing that I do. My core is getting a lot stronger from rock climbing and deadlifts.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

If you still want to workout your chest just make sure you do even more work for your back. Remember bad posture is caused by a tighter chest. I am not a doctor or therapist but have been dealing with this for many years and have gotten a lot of good advice from professionals.
 

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Hey DaRK9, good to hear from a fellow standing-desk user! Are you satisfied with the standing desk? Is it sturdy or does it wobble? Can you move it around easily using the wheels or are they frail?

I use a standing desk all day but it's a semi-done IKEA hack and not ideal. I sit on a chair for phone calls and reading on paper (so basically the opposite of what everybody else does). I also eigher walk barefoot or use minimal shoes. I have started doing this after reading "Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World". While I used to suffer from pain from chronic tension in my pelvic muscles (not those muscles), this has gotten A LOT better.
 
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DaRK9

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Hey DaRK9, good to hear from a fellow standing-desk user! Are you satisfied with the standing desk? Is it sturdy or does it wobble? Can you move it around easily using the wheels or are they frail?

I use a standing desk all day but it's a semi-done IKEA hack and not ideal. I sit on a chair for phone calls and reading on paper (so basically the opposite of what everybody else does). I also eigher walk barefoot or use minimal shoes. I have started doing this after reading "Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World". While I used to suffer from pain from chronic tension in my pelvic muscles (not those muscles), this has gotten A LOT better.
Awesome! Moving to a standing desk has helped me a ton.

It isn't wobbling at all, and I have two monitors mounted to it. I don't move it around very much so I couldn't say.

It is awkward to adjust the height, but I only had to do that once when setting it up.

Overall I'm happy with it.
 

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I got RSI in my right hand after spending a few years working long hours without interruption with just the laptop touch pad.
I spent months trying solutions from doctors "expert" in the field. None worked.
The only long term solution I found was to use my left hand fot the mouse. Then the pain went away in the right hand...

For the back pains, last year I was looking for a standing desk, but most cost more than 1.500€.
Until I saw this sturdy and elegant standing desk at Ikea.
It has an electric engine so you can sit, then stand, then sit again, as often as you like over the day because it changes position (almost silently) in a few seconds.

Really great.

And if you want to push the experience a bit further, you can try to walk while working!
It may sound crazy to some, but you can find articles that talk about all the benefits. Like this one:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-04-29/your-office-chair-is-killing-you

And that Ikea standing desk is high enough to make it part of a threadmill desk too (my height is 1m80), using this cheap threadmill under 200€:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...=B004TGWUPE&linkCode=as2&tag=brainlingscom-20

It has "bad reviews" but it's from heavy people who buy it in order to run on it.
If you buy it just to walk while working, it is perfect.

In this website they explain how to hack the threadmill (to remove the bars on the side and reduce or cut the beep sound after 30 min).

I never removed the bars, I just leave them parallel to the ground and it works fine. That way I got a great looking threadmill desk for under 900€.

You have full commercial threadmill desks sold for way more on amazon. Those integrated threadmill are probably more sturdy, but they weight in the 100kg, so you need to dedicate a room to it because you will not move it around often.

In my case, I was using the desk as our dining table when we were eating (it was elegant enough according to my girlfriend to be used in the living/dining room) and I was using it as a threadmill desk or standing desk or normal desk the rest of the time.
The threadmill only weights 25 or 30kg and has integrated little wheels, so it's easy to just move it back in another room when not used.

And if you don't have the money for a nice Ikea standing desk (or for any other reason), you can also improvise:
Currently, I am abroad, so I improvised a cheap cardboard boxes standing desk :)
It's not 100% erogonomic of course:
I have the screen height right, but the keyboard height is not perfect yet.
With that "standing cardboard box desk" setting, I use a "static" wireless trackball mouse. So that limits the movements of the wrist. And I try to learn the keyboard shortcuts and use them as much as possible to avoid using the mouse too much.

And the final piece of the puzzle for me: I use a "pull-up bar" put in a door frame in order to hang under it and regularly stretch my back. It helps also.
I thought about that when I saw a commercial for a chair-like machine sold at 300$ that would help "stretch your spine in a perfect line" to remedy back problems. I thought that gravity should help enough to do the stretching in a straight line. And I'm pretty happy with the result. Cost: 25€

The last problem I still must solve: is to find the discipline to take regular breaks instead of working non stop for a few hours when I am concentrated working on sthg...
 

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