Uh... oh...

[auronlu]

My wrists have been very painful for the last several years, mostly from typing.

I was awakened in the middle of the night by screaming pain in my right shoulder, elbow, and wrist. This means that either the arthritis is finally colonizing the last remaining part of my body which it has hitherto left mostly alone, or I've damaged something by typing too much on my laptop OR, embarrassingly enough, the use of battery-powered reading aids is now going to be a luxury I dare not enjoy.

I hate the fact that arthritis makes it well-nigh impossible to do anything involving a steady grip or repetitive motions without hurting a lot...

Right now I'm being very, very careful about how I move and typing mostly with my left hand. It's still sore. Problem is, the arthritis is absolutely at its worst in my left arm and hand, so I've been doing the reverse for most of my life. (I'm left-handed.)

Comments

[saharasnow.livejournal.com]

This reminded me the other time when my back hurts like hell through the whole night and later a week. Well its not arthritis though, I injured my back when I was working in retail few years back.

I have an injured knee as well because I stupidly walked into a drain one night ten plus years ago. Ever since then my knee cap was totally spoilt and it felt loose compared to my good one.
It used to hurt a lot like arthritis, but it gotten better now, somehow. Well, the injured knee will not heal unless I undergo an operation which might affect my walking when I grow old.

[lassarina]

I strongly recommend, if you don't have them already, picking up wrist braces. The cheapie brand are about $10 each, and they're amazingly helpful for me (I'm 23 and have been having wrist issues off and on for the last 6 years).

[muggy-mountain.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I'm sorry. That sounds like no good.

I have no arthritis and thus no advice but do what you need to do.

[rustehroll.livejournal.com]

:\ I'm really sorry to hear that. I kinda wish they had good software that was speech-to-type.

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

There's pretty good dictation software out there, but I think with my hands. You're right though. *flips on my Mac's voice recognition, which at least saves me from having to use the trackpad*

[pyrefly-sky.livejournal.com]

Not fun. :(
They need to hurry and develop those computers that can trace brain signals to type and move stuff on the screen. *hugs*

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

As a long-time RSI sufferer I really feel you on this. I assume you already know about stretching, breaks, ice, switching mouse hands (left-handed mousing really saved me), etc, so really all I can offer is sympathy. I know how hard it is to step away from the keyboard when the muse wants you to site and write write write, but sometimes there is no choice. Better a short enforced break now than more drastic measures later...