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From: vernak@cateye.LABS.TEK.COM (Verna Knapp)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Arm and shoulder pain
Message-ID: <1809@crl.LABS.TEK.COM>
Date: 17 Jun 91 19:27:35 GMT
References: <10069111: 09:40LAL5@lehigh.bitnet> <1991Jun16.040543.9152@actrix.gen.nz>
Sender: news@crl.LABS.TEK.COM
Reply-To: vernak@cateye.LABS.TEK.COM (Verna Knapp)
Organization: Computer Research Laboratory, Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton OR
Lines: 62

In article <1991Jun16.040543.9152@actrix.gen.nz> icousins@actrix.gen.nz (Ian Cousins) writes:
>In article <10069111:09:40LAL5@lehigh.bitnet> LAL5@NS.CC.LEHIGH.EDU (Leslie A. Lucas) writes:
>> I am having problems with my arms and shoulders from drawing with
>> mouse and light pen.  The repetitiveness of the job damaged my
>> "artistic arm" and is now hurting the other arm.  Do any of you have a
>> similar problem?  What are you doing about it?  I have been going from
>> doctor to doctor, and have found no solution.
>
>I have the same problem which has been getting increasing more difficult
>to deal with as time passes. I have had physiotherapy for the shoulder
>pain which worked. Tha cause is poor posture which causes the neck to
>curve forward and the chin to drop. Exercise to straighten the neck
>relieves the pain and improves the posture. The arms are much harder to

Another related problem is shortening of the muscles which turn the
head. Counting my commute, I spend about 14 hours a day looking *forward*.
Now I have trouble with my neck due to shortened muscles. The poor 
posture problem also shortens these muscles. 

One way to help this is to lower your monitor as much as possible so
you can look down at it. I am using an anthrocart which has the table
top on my knees, and I have taken the pizza box out from under my
sun and put it on the floor. If I could remove the "ergonomic" tilt
and swivel monitor support to drop it a couple more inches, I would.
In fact I would like to drop the monitor into a hole that would place it about
6 inches lower. And I have a relatively long body. This would be worse
for a short person. And watch out when you get bifocals! If you have
to look through the lower part of your glasses to see the screen, you
will have to lower the screen or raise your chin to see. Lowering the
screen enough is usually not possible, and raising your chin shortens
those neck muscles. 

>cure... my problem has been diagnosed as sever RSI (repetitive strain
>injury). It started as a twing in the arm near the elbow ... it then
>spread to the wrists and knuckles then fingers. I am having a course of
>injections into the wrist (carpal tunnel) to relieve the swelling/
>inflammation and I now have to wear wrist splints for support and to
>restrict the movement of the wrists.
>
Other ways to reduce carpal tunnel problems from mouse use include learning
to mouse with either hand (assuming your mouse cord is long enough to
allow this), and flattening hierarchical menus. Put all commonly used
functions in the top level menu, and more rarely used ones at lower 
levels. I am using a menu system which has the search and replace function
three clicks down :-(. And it won't do a global replace which includes
a CR. The principle involved here is the same as that in good kitchen
design...put frequently used things where you can get them easily, and
rarely used things in the less accessible spots. Yes, this can easily
mean longer menus. I am about to revise mine on this system. 

Yet another thing which helps reduce hand numbness is a very well padded
steering wheel on your car if you have a long commute. When I started my
current 1 hour 45 minute each way commute, my hands tried to self destruct,
including numbness and joint pain. I got a sheepskin cover with very
dense wool on it. That helped a lot.

When things are really bad, I find that antihistamines will reduce
the numbness and swelling. And of course, aspirin for the joint problems.

Verna Knapp
vernak@crl.tek.com