Posted by Tabitha on January 31, 2003, at 2:15:08
Hey y'all, I've had nagging RSI symptoms for many years. Too much keyboard at work plus this online socializing. My left hand was getting really bad, the pinky and ring finger going numb a lot. I learned... it's the ulnar nerve that goes to those fingers. Ulnar nerve goes over elbow bone, and I was leaning on left elbow all day at work. Squishing nerve all day. Stopped leaning on elbow, no more numb fingers!
Median nerve is the one for carpal tunnel syndrome, it goes to the thumb and 2 fingers, gets squished by inflammation in the wrist. I get that stuff too, unless I use wrist supports.
Annoyed with family doc who didn't know diddly about any of this stuff, just told me, oh, it's no big deal, you just take anti-inflammatories then get the carpal tunnel surgery.
Now I still have joint pain (getting arthritis?) in all the fingers and muscle aches all up the arms and in the armpits, back, neck, chest, basically entire upper body. I keep feeling lucky that I don't have carpal tunnel, but I've got everything else possible.
It's worst when I'm resentful and pressured at work. Seems like it's that as much as sheer volume of typing that causes the flare-ups.
Anyone have any home remedies for this stuff? I do some stretching but not very consistent about it. The wrist supports help more than anything. I have this other gadget for massaging the forearm muscle, and a book about trigger point massage, but all the massage seems to aggravate the inflammation.
Will I end up with gnarled arthritic hands, big knobby joints?
poster:Tabitha
thread:35972
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030120/msgs/35972.html