Archive for the ‘rsi’ Category

Intersection syndrome

Sunday, September 14th, 2008

I have have a rare condition called Intersection syndrome, which is a type of RSI thing similar to carpal tunnel syndrome. Technically its an  Overuse Syndrome of the Hand and Wrist  and in my case a WRULD (work related uperlimb disorder).

I thought I’d make this blog Post about it in case anyone else stumbles across it who also has intersection syndrome.

intersection syndrome

intersection syndrome

I’ve had it for over a year now and am waiting for surgery to hopefully fix it, but its such a rare condition that I can find very little about it or the prognosis for recovery. Obviously im trying to  resist having my arm cut open, but I have tried virtually every other alternative therapy without much success.

I’d be very interested to hear from anyone who has had a recovery, or knows anything on the subject.

Resources

Here’s some useful resources ive found useful, for perhaps the one in 1,000,000,000 who might want it

http://www.ajronline.org/cgi/content/full/181/5/1245 This medical report goes into a great deal of medical detail on the subject. Theyre study of a hospital orthapedic department found only 3 cases in 5 years. None needed surgery (its a bummer to have a rare condition, that rarely needs surgery and be the one that does!)

intersection-syndrome-guide This is a very useful guide covering diagnosis and treatments

RSI forum - this site is the best resource on the law, and support groups in the U.K. The forum is good, but a bit darkside, still par for the course.

RSI - a good description of what RSI is, better than i could put it.

Treatment

According to the medical writings treatment is :

  • Conservative treatment is rest, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, and splinting
  • Surgery is tenosynovectomy and fasciotomy of abductor pollicis longus 

    • So far ive tried:

    • Medication - Ibuprofen, Ibuleve and Volteral are all good
    • Ice - this is a big help, my arm is in ice most of every day. Biofreeze gel is also good.
    • Physio - I have regular physio, which is expensive but worth trying for sure. Treatments include ultrasound to break up scar tissue, myofascial release and massage stretching exercises. This shouldnt be confused with NHS physio, a sheet of exercises.
    • Injections - Cortisone, the injection is painful but had good results for a few weeks, although ive had 2 now, and cant have more as it can weaken your bones. Worth a shot though! 
    • Acupuncture - rubbish, you may as well smoke or drink your money 
    • Emu Oil - used by the aboriginals and many swear by it. Ive no strong positive or negative on this.
    • Hypnotherapy - NLP type stuff is good for pain control

     

     

    Tags:
    Posted in rsi | 11 Comments »

    5 ways to prevent RSI

    Sunday, August 24th, 2008

    I have had RSI now for around one year, caused by over using a computer.  I was very surprised at the time that it was even possible to damage yourself just by typing too much and not having your computer set up properly!  A year later I have learned a lot about this and am facing surgery, which is not even guaranteed to fix my hand -all just from using a computer too much. RSI is not a made up disease or something that happens just to old people, so if you rely on your hands and work at the computer all day listen up and take out some insurance for them by following my tips..

    The 5 things you should definitely do:

    1. Get some proper equipment

    Is amazing when you think about it, that people spend hundreds of pounds regularly upgrading their processors and getting the best graphics cards but don’t pay any attention to their keyboards and mouse.  This was definitely true for me.  A good ergonomic keyboard and a vertical mouse can stop you stressing key areas in your wrists, don’t wait until it’s too late. Invest in your hands, trust me youll miss them!

    2. Take regular breaks

    This is a pretty simple one and probably the most important.  It’s also the easiest one to miss especially if you’re in the middle of writing some code or your boss is riding you over a deadline.  Did you know you’re not supposed to spend more than 4 ½ hours in one day on a computer according to UK government guidelines, I was pretty shocked to learn that.  In the UK it is the employers responsibility to ensure staff get regular breaks and they should be as much as 10 minutes in any hour away from the computer.  There are also great bits of software like work rave to remind you. 

    3. Think about your posture

    This is one of those things that you’d expect an old lady to tell you or you’d find on some boring health and safety video with John Cleese on it.  I was quite glad that my old job was in a cool company where I could slouch around, but as soon as i couldn’t use my right hand anymore that didnt seem so cool anymore! Sitting up straight and getting your equipment at the right angles really can make a huge difference. The advice always says make sure the top of your eyes are level with the top of your monitor so you’re not looking down constantly. After hours of Physio I’ve now learned why.  If your neck is facing forwards all the time then your chest muscles build up and your shoulder muscles weaken causing the strain to be passed on your arms instead. Here is a link to a good article on posture which is well worth a read.

    4. Get a good chair

    Get a good chair with adjustable arms and make sure that the arms are level with your desk.  Make sure your lower back is well supported and you’re sitting up straight if you sit badly for long periods of time you will end up straining different muscle groups and eventually this can have long-term effects.  The problem of RSI conditions if they can take up to two years to develop symptoms, and by the time you start feeling pain it’s pretty much too late.

    5. Exercise

    This is another old cliché but it is very important.  If you are sitting down all day and just using a few muscle groups these can quickly become overtired, and your other muscles start to weaken.  Activities such as swimming , yoga and tai chi are generally recommended but failing that stretching regularly and even a good walk every day will help.

    I would highly recommend anyone who spends long periods of time at a computer take some of this advice. RSI doesn’t get spoken about very much but it is becoming much more common, its very painful and can take years to get better!

    SEO Results ThinkBIG can offer you effective results in you organic placement. We will let you know exactly what we are doing so you aren’t in the dark like those other SEO companies.

    Tags:
    Posted in rsi | 3 Comments »

    First post

    Saturday, August 2nd, 2008

    Ok, so welcome to my blog.

    For anyone who doesn’t know me my name is Mike, I’m a web developer from Brighton.

    I used to work for a company in Brighton, I had to leave a while ago as i developed RSI, which until i got i always thought was a made up disease.

    A year later and im now left handed and staying hopeful for a recovery, and im now running my own company.

    On the plus side I know more about RSI and all that bizzle than I ever imagined, so hopefully i can pass some of that stuff on and stop this happening to someone else! Running my own company is also much more rewarding and gives me plenty to blog about. I had planned to get blogging before all this started and having now discovered the joy of Dragon naturally speaking  and the left handed evo mouse  (which between them have saved my life) - i can no longer be held back.

    So expect plenty of interweb ramblings, flash c0de and vociferous RSI evangalism coming from here.

    Tags:
    Posted in rsi | No Comments »