Who knew there was this much poetry news? And why doesn't the San Francisco Chronicle carry it anymore? Thank heavens (Part 3,128) for the Internet, for providing po-bloggers to relieve my fingers from doing all that keyboard walking:
Dumbfoundry (check the extensive links -- divided by country and individual or group blogs)
Books, Inq. - always readable, link-through-able, quippy, provocative
In continuing computer-related issues, I'm on the trail of a setup to relieve symptoms of incipient carpal tunnel -- a disaster for a writer. I've investigated keyboard commands (a very good thing), the fully articulated keyboard tray arm, the Rollermouse (using it as I speak), and various other ergonomic considerations = beaucoup bucks (fancy chairs, keyboards, input devices, etc.)
But one of the very best two devices I've discovered I bought at my local drugstore for under $10 for both. A wrist supporter with a built-in palm pad, and one of those silly squishy balls you squeeze while doing something besides computing.
In two days, significant relief. Anyone have any other ideas?
3 comments:
I've worked a couple jobs where I had to do beaucoup data entry. My right forearm will gradually tighten up and it's gotten to a constant ache.
A few things have helped:
-- stretching -- if you don't do yoga, there are still easy stretches you can do. Not just stretching the arm. Full body stretches. Regularly through the day. Not big workouts. 30-60 seconds can do it.
-- weights at the gym ... the flexing & fresh blood flow into the stressed muscles seemed to do almost as much as the stretching.
-- ergonomic desk set up. A chair that has you in a good posture, monitor and keyboard at appropriate levels (there are sites that have diagrams or descriptions, like this one) ... I could tell immediately when my set up was improved. I liked the keyboard that angles each half toward the using hand, the keyboard doing the angling rather than your wrists.
-- I would change up frequently ... switching the mouse to my left hand (I am not ambidextrous), use the numbers keypad (& its enter key) to lessen the use of my pinkie, hold pens in my fists to hunt-n-peck with a stabbing motion ... don't keep doing what is hurting you!!!
Wrist braces for when you sleep, or when the cp is acting up...and my brother the programmer swears by regular-old pushups (he tells me to practice with against-the-wall pushups before attempting the regular kind)
Glenn & Jeannine -- many thanks for excellent suggestions. I've tried some and they're already giving me relief. I found this funny wrist thing with a mouse pad attached to the bottom, so it lifts your hand. Very useful. As is the idea of using your left hand, though that's a brain-teaser. Where do you find the wrist braces? I'll have to try the push-ups.
I've already tried several alternate input devices, including a Rollermouse, which I think actually made things worse. A touchpad on a laptop seems to help, though I don't know why. I'm also trying to learn keyboard commands.
Thanks much!
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