Writers and Carpal Tunnel

When you say wrist brace, what kind are you using? I used to use a wrist wrap (firmly wrapped) and it seemed to help. I didn't have carpal tunnel, but had something similar from years and years of doing CAD drawings. At one time the little finger on my right hand was no numb I could no longer feel it (it is still numb to a certain degree).

I can find a link to the wrap I found that I liked if you're interested.

Do not use any wrist pads of any kind as they have been found to cause more pressure (more than double) in the carpel tunnel. Instead, keep your wrists off anything while typing, keep them straight as you align your hands and forearms straight, and your arms at a 90degree angle.

You could pick up a set or wrist restraints (I don't know the exact term). They are wrist wraps with metal bands to keep your wrists straight and you can use those while typing and using a mouse. Might want to use these until you conform to something better.

There's no real proof with ergonomic keyboards, but there is some proof with mice that are turned sideways as that reduces strain a bit.

I had some symptoms of it over a year ago. What I did:
Adjusted my typing position. Same as the first line with straight back and feet flat on the ground.
I bought a more standard keyboard as my keyboard with wide keys was making me move my hands more as I typed.
The keyboard I bought was mechanical with an actuation point that tells me when a key activates so I don't have to press it all the way--I don't think this really helped, but it does help typing. Some people say this really helped them.
Converted to Dvorak--which really helped. It took me a bit to learn, but it was easy enough.
Took breaks to move wrists and arms.


And, of course, take any advice with salt. Test and keep as you see fit.

I had tendonitis in my wrists. Make sure to stretch your fingers and wrists once in a while. Take ibuprofen. And definitely wear that wrist wrap. Other than that, lessening your time on the computer is the best thing to do.

Ergorests likely saved my writing career. I've been using a pair for a decade now. While I can write with a laptop on my lap without pain, typing on a desk brings instant burning discomfort in my wrists unless I am using the Ergorest.

Note that I've not been diagnosed (or sought a diagnosis) with CTS (etc.), and I have no idea if these would help someone who is so afflicted. I only know that they're the difference between being able to type and not.

I've talked to people who tried these things and couldn't get used to them, but I took to them right away and love them today.

It's a Finnish company, but their products are sold on Amazon and other retailers.

Here's the English version of their site with a ton of info:

http://www.ergorest.fi/en/home/

I didn't actually know what Carpal Tunnel is. So I Googled it and discovered that the primary cause of this condition is use of vibrating tools.

I suppose one could interpret "tools" as being a number of things. I mean I am only reporting my discovery. What can I say -- don't shoot the messenger.

I have a problem with my hands and after a chat with my doc we decided I would have various tests and x-rays to make sure there was no cause for the pain. He thought that I had damaged my hands as I have a bad habit of sitting on them. He suggested and prescribed a pain killer, but in gel form, that I rub in every day. That helped so much. I can touch type again. I also made a wrist support for when I use the mouse - it is softer than the ones you can buy. Just an oblong of fabric stuffed with wadding. It shapes to my wrist and is very comfortable to use. I've used all sorts of keyboards and found very little difference between them.

I had it when pregnant and so I can sympathise - it's horrible and can be absolute agony.

No real suggestions as nothing really helped for me, but I do second keeping away from raised pads or supports as the pressure they cause can make things worse.

It's also suggest getting an ergonomic keyboard or a DEVORAK - your hands travel much less and so it can help reduce the strain of repetitive activity.

Voice command, voice activation systems?

Dragon? I'm sure some folks here already use Dragon.

Try checking on all of the following:

1. At work, see if they can do an ergonomic evaluation of your work desk. I only attended a demo they had at mine and learned that I was doing several things wrong.

2. Make sure your chair is the right height. Your thighs are supposed to be straight and not an an angle (if your chair is too high, they'll be at angle). I had an ergonomics test at work and was shocked that my chair was too high.

3. Explore an ergonomic mouse. I got one that's a "pen" mouse, which means it's angled so that it's like writing with a pen. I've had less trouble with my shoulder since I've gotten it.

4. Use keyboard shortcuts instead of mouse clicks. Control + S is easy to get started with = Save.

5. Set a timer and take breaks. So write for 15 minutes or half an hour, then stop for a few minutes.

6. Try voice recognition software like Dragon Naturally Speaking.

The best thing to do is get educated. This is a hot topic, and there are lot of credible resources out there. This one comes with pictures of how to sit (bearing in mind that this could be a huge impact on the angle of your arms) and shows the proper angle for the arms. http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/computerergo.pdf

Check locally too and see if there's an ergonomic store.

Another thing you might consider is using Dragon, the voice recognition program. I started using it when I broke a wrist and kept on using it even after it healed. It works quite well---faster than typing even if you factor in the errors that need to be corrected.

Back in my Naturopathic school days, they taught that Carpal Tunnel is always associated with a Vitamin B6 deficiency. The "always" is debatable, but it is really worth a try. Be aware, however, that B6 overdoses are possible and very uncomfortable (so I hear). Frankly, I would take a good B-complex vitamin daily. Most B-vits are water soluble so the system uses them quickly, then releases them. They sharpen you up and help your metabolism, which increases your energy - bonus! And don't freak if your urine is a little fluorescent; it just means they're working.

Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to CTS. My orthopedic Dr. put me on it for a torn ligament in my thumb after a skiing accident. It worked quite well.

Also try doing dishes by hand. I know, I know - sounds crazy. The idea is to get your hands and wrists under warm water to move, stretch, and strengthen them by manipulating objects. It can also be done in a bucket of warm water with rocks at the bottom, but that feels like a waste of time to me. Since my injury I've become the best dish-washer ever! No kidding.

Finally, as writers, repetitive stress injuries are about the most serious physical risk we take. Aren't we daring? No, seriously, we need to be taking breaks, stretching, moving, and strengthening - constantly and consistently. It's easy to let time slip by in front of the keyboard, but our health ought to be a very high priority.

I'm not including links, but Google will help you find more info on all this, if you ask.

Hope this helps.

I don't have carpal tunnel, I have deQuervains' tendonitis (basically tennis elbow in my thumb). But some of the things that the nurse told me was helpful in both instances was icing the area when the pain starts and to take frequent breaks from doing repetitive tasks (like typing).

IIRC, basically the two are linked because the injury is, essentially, that the sheath that protects the nerves/tendons from the wrist's many motions gets irritated and swells, which pinches the contents, which causes the pain. Surgery generally just slits the sheath open so it can't constrict when irritated. Reducing the irritation helps the pain.

I use a bag of frozen peas. They break up easily to bold around my hand/wrist and they're not so cold that I need a towel between it and my skin. They're also reusable and seriously cheap. (Just don't eat them. ) About 10-15 minutes on average, or 20 minutes if it really hurts, and I'm good to go again. I always ice before taking drugs, since the ice seems to work better.

Good luck.

Epsom salt soaks, vitamins, and get inflammatory foods out of your diet -- i.e., grains and dairy. I lift weights and, unfortunately, my muscles get stronger faster than my tendons. I have dealt with long, painful bouts of tendonitis/tendinitis for 20 years... until I cut out grains and dairy. I went pain-free in a way I hadn't experienced in my entire adult life.

I had carpal tunnel years ago. I was on doc number three before I got the surgery. In the meantime, the situation got some bad that I could not do my job. Despite the fact that I could not work, the first two docs said “Oh, it’s not that bad. Just take these pills and see if it goes away.” The third doc said “You have carpal tunnel, it’s a simple surgery, let’s fix it.” Had the surgery and it worked, ending months of pain and frustration with a surgery that had a local anesthetic and took 15 minutes. (This was before they did it with lasers. I hear it’s even easier now.)

I’m not saying that you need surgery, but do get a second opinion. In the meantime, I got carpal tunnel from repetitive motion. I worked as a costumer, and sewing and cutting is prone to this, as is writing and typing, I imagine. I knew after the surgery, that if I didn’t do something to help it, I would just get it again. Try exercises to stretch fingers and hand. Take breaks from activities that cause issues. When holding objects, try to hold with your whole hand rather than just the fingers.

There’s a stretching exercise a yoga instructor showed me that has been most helpful. I will try to explain it. You stand arm’s length from a wall with your feet parallel to the wall. You put your palm flat against the wall, fingers towards the floor, arm very straight. You should feel a stretch in your arm and palm. If this isn’t enough stretch, do the same thing but angle the toes of your feet farther away from the wall. It’s a simple stretch that you can do anywhere with a wall. It saved my bacon the year I was in a bowling league. Try it when you are typing, and you start having trouble. Hold the stretch for a reasonable time.

I will add that anti-inflammatory meds did not help me. Certainly take something for the pain when needed, but the base problem isn’t inflammation, like you have in tendonitis type issues. The problem is that the nerves are getting squooshed in that tunnel in your wrist.

I will also add that pain or numbness in your thumb and first three fingers is a sign of carpal tunnel. If you are having numbness in your pinky and the edge of your hand, that’s an elbow thing. Sometimes people, and even docs, can miss this.

I hurt my wrist/thumb at the end of January and have been wearing two different braces since. It is finally getting better, but during the worst of it I was on an anti-inflammatory and used frozen gel packs, Epsom salt soaks, Advil, massage etc. to help with the pain. There was no evidence of tendonitis on my ultrasound so unfortunately for me, I've just had to grin & bear it while it heals.

Honestly, everything everyone has mentioned helps: resting your hands, icing them, proper posture and what really saved me was the voice recognition software (Dragon). It does take some getting used to, in terms of getting into the mindset of dictating your story, but it saved my sanity!

Hope you get well soon!

If you use a desktop, the mouse causes far more carpal tunnel than the keyboard. Switching it from right to left handed periodically can help.

My doctor prescribed a bowling glove, of all things. He said it worked better than what he had, and it worked for me. It kept my wrist perfectly straight, and I could still type with it on.

I still wear it every great now and then, as soon as the first twinge of carpal tunnel sends a warning sign.

So many helpful suggestions. I avoid CTS by using the latest of ergonomic keyboards.

I bought this from Bufty when he went to vocal input (see Post #9). He assured me it's state of the art:

Speaking as one with aging and cranky joints...

Type with the keyboard in your lap, and your elbows supported (which means a chair with arms, and those arms set lower than the average office chair so they don't shove your shoulders up). This lets your wrists and elbows and shoulders relax (not constantly holding up their own weight) and be at whatever angle they naturally fall to, rather than being crooked into wherever the desk forces 'em at some unnatural height.

Likewise, rather than have the mouse on the desk in front of you, find a table of convenient height and use it beside your chair. (Helps a lot with shoulder issues.)

Also -- if you have persistent 'carpal tunnel' and ever experience tingling or numbness in your feet, RUN, do not walk, to the nearest neurologist, as the problem can actually be a pinched nerve in your neck -- and if it becomes progressive, the result can be tragic. A friend's wife had this going on, and barely caught it in time -- in another year she'd have been quadraplegic. Now she's on her way to recovery, and funny thing, it wasn't her wrists at all. The moment her neck was fixed, the pain in her wrists vanished.

I use a split/ergonomic keyboard. It keeps my wrists straight.

I tried the ergonomic/split keyboard... made my wrists hurt like hell in a matter of minutes. To each his own deformity.

Erin Latimer said:

According to the doc I don't "officially" have it (not bad enough yet, I guess) so...no surgery for me.

Click to expand...

Didn't your doctor give you instructions?

Carpal tunnel surgery used to be risky and didn't work all the time. That has changed. It's nearly always successful.

However, there are several similar conditions that are much easier to treat, and don't need surgery. When I went to my doctor with carpal tunnel-type symptoms, he told me it was probably tendonitis. He prescribed ibuprofen, six 200 mg pills a day, hot packs, and plenty of rest. Sure enough, it disappeared in a few weeks.

It turns out the problem wasn't the keyboard. It was the mouse. Whenever I try to use a mouse, the condition recurs, so I use a trackball now. The clawlike grip needed to use the mouse was the problem.

I know other folks who can't use the mouse, same reason. Conversely, I can't use a trackball because it plays hob with my thumb.

Another thing to be aware of with the mouse, if you have it beside you as I do -- don't lean forward to peer at the screen, hand atop mouse, or eventually it'll wrank your shoulder out of whack.

I've struggled with Carpal Tunnel over the last ten years. It happens when I'm doing a hell of a lot of writing, OR playing stupid app games constantly on my phone AND doing a lot of writing. Backing off for a bit once I feel the pain helps.

When it first started I took some steps that means it's never got super terrible again - first was buying a decent footstool for home and getting work to do the same. I'm short, so my thighs were at an angle when sat down. The footstool helps with the rest of my posture.

I buy ergonomic keyboards, or at least keyboards that work for me personally - it's worth trying a few.

I have a lot of fairly simply elastic style/sport style wrist straps that I use whenever it flares up every year or so. They help keep my wrists in a good position/offer support/or could just be a placebo, but work.

When things were really bad I also used Dragon for a bit - it helped a lot but I find it hard to think out loud so for me it's more of a back-up system than a primary output device.

I had carpel tunnel years ago, but hadn't had any problems for a long time until I started writing. I tried wearing my doctor-prescribed wrist brace, changing the angle of my keyboard...nothing helped. I started losing the strength in my fingers and then it spread to the rest of my hand.

I knew I was going to have to do something drastic or I was heading for surgery. Ironically, we went on vacation about that time and I took a little netbook with me so I could write while we were gone. I did a lot of writing that week, but the pain lessened. My netbook was positioned in my lap most of the time. I decided to try an experiment, so when we returned home I didn't start using my desktop and regular keyboard again. Within a couple of weeks, the strength had returned in my hand.

To test my hypothesis that the desktop keyboard was the cause of the pain, I switched back to it. Within a week, the pain returned. I've been using a netbook and/or tablet with keyboard ever since and I've had no pain at all.