Are you addicted to your computer? If you are not blogging, are you surfing the internet? Or are you updating your Facebook page, tweeting, sharing, emailing or texting? Do you read the news on your iPhone or Blackberry, and flip from app to app, too?
If you’re like me, your two hands are critical to what you do. All day. For hours at a time. Have you noticed the following symptoms getting more and more of your attention?
1. Do you wake up in the middle of the night because your hands or fingers are numb? Or even your whole arm?
2. In the morning, do your wrist hurts?
3. Does your coffee cup shake in your hand?
4. Is your penmanship starting to look like a doctor’s?
5. It is harder for you to open a jar without banging it with a spoon?
6. Do your fingers feel tight or swollen?
7. Does it hurt to type?
If so, you may be developing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, where the median nerve in your hand may be pinched from swelling and cause your symptoms. I found that out when I spoke to my neurosurgeon's Nurse Melanie about a week ago. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be caused by repetitive motion, like typing on your keyboard all day. (It can also be caused by genetics, such as a narrow carpal tunnel). Right now, I can barly gt out the ltrs…..
What can you do before resorting to surgery? Here are some tips from the Mayo Clinic:
1. Try wearing a wrist splint during the day and at night
2. Switch to an ergonomic keyboard, mouse and desk arrangement
3. Take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs like Advil
4. Get cortisone injections
5. Take breaks from constant typing (Yeah, I wish)
Your next step may be surgery to release the ligament pressing on the nerve. Nurse Melanie told me it is a 30-minute procedure with a two-week recovery where you cannot lift anything with the affected hand. The good news though- you can still type!
It's Wendy!
Wendy Rulnick, Broker, CRP, CRS, GRI, ABR Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Destin Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help.
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Wendy is a short sale and pre-foreclosure specialist and has been featured in "Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine" and "Florida Realtor Magazine". Call Wendy Rulnick, Broker/Owner,to list and sell your home or condo on the Emerald Coast of Florida in Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County- Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Crestview, Rosemary Beach, Mary Esther, Shalimar, Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field.
Not that addicted.... do appreciate my dedicated fellow bloggers on AR though!
I'm definitely addicted! My yoga instructor has introduced several yoga movements that help with carpal tunnel. I practice them faithfully. So far, so good. Thanks for the post, Wendy!
Wendy,
I hope this information was acquired by osmosis not personal experience.
Personally I'm nearly ambidextrous, one one can read my writing regardless. But, hold ether hand and I can't talk!
Bill
Hi Wendy-
This is a very real problem. When I first started blogging, I posted from my BlackBerry so much that my thumbs are still hurting. Easy does it!
--Sara
My girlfriend is quite fed up with my computer and my phone!
I don't have any of those symptoms but I am getting an eye twitch and I have fantasies about strangling a french detective. What should I do? =)
It seems like our lives's are tied to the computer. Carpal Tunnel is probably more of a mouse injury than just typing, but it's now a big time occupational hazard for us.
Bill - This *is* from personal experience - Doc says when you start dropping things it is time for surgery:)
Ted - Apparently the surgery is not too bad.
Ellie - I am addicted - now I want an iPad, too!
Hope - Yoga for Carpal Tunnel! Do share!
Damon - I am getting the same vibe from Hubby on that.
Jared - You're welcome!
Sara - Wow, posting from a Blackberry's gotta be tough.
J - Star in the next Pink Panther remake!
Gabe - I am not sure in my case- yesterday I could hardly finish the post because my left hand ached so much, and I am a rightie! I might just opt for the surgery, cannot stop my ties to the computer, as you know!
Hi Wendy, We are becoming slaves to technology - there's no question about it. What would we do without our computers, all of our social networking sites and I phones. We would be lost. It can become an obsession. No carpal tunnel...thanks for the warning,
From the desk of David Dee,
Wendy, maybe we should voice to text dictation so there would be no need to type any more. :D
Sandy - It is too nice to take a break and be in nature, isn't it?
David - Then we would all have sore throats from talking too much!
Sally & David - Thank you for the tip, I should take my vitamins :)
Wendy: Don't you think that I am way too young to have carpal tunnel syndrome? It's all the blogging. I'm also way too young to have bifocals. I got a prescription for them three months ago and it has been sitting in my purse because I cannot bring myself to be the owner of bifocals!
Melissa - Even at our youthful age, we CAN get carpal tunnel from all our furious fingers! But your bifocals, I have no explanation for that!
Yikes Wendy...take those vitamins Sally and David recommended. We need you to blog on!!!