[dcg]

I have to type all day at work and I'm starting to get pain in my hands. Howver, I tried to do a bit of research on CTS and it seems that it occurs in the area of the thumb and index/middle fingers whereas my trouble is in the pinky fingers, actually the knickles of those fingers to be precise. Plus, I don't have the shooting pains or trouble grasping things that go along with CTS. I know I should propably just go see a doctor about this, and I have an appointment for a checkup in about 10 days, but I was wondering if any of you guys could offer advice.

Dave

 

[gloco]

Believe it or not, chance are its NOT cts. It may have something to do with tendonitis (sp?).

Run a search on google for Carpel Tunnel Syndrome symptoms and Tendonitis and see which one seems to affect you.

I have the same kind of aches and pains that you do, i just try to avoid using the mouse as much as possible since that seems like the culprit. Take 15 min breaks away from the keyboard every hour. My knuckles, middle finger, pinky also hurt after an extended day of typing or a marathon session with Starcraft.

Lastly, if you have medical insurance, use it!

George

 

[insanefred]

Yeah, I'm doing mouse work all day (and it's not ALL surfing the net either!), and I've found that a wrist rest is an absolute necessity. I've got this great one shaped like a lady's bottom (ooerr!) which is filled with gel, and really comfy. Cost a fiver. It's called a Bum Rest, I think. But go to the doc, it's something which a lot of people get.
HTH
Andrew

 

[john_jcb]

I see you are not that old but there is an off chance it could be arthritis caused by an injury. I hurt my thumb in a car wreck many years ago and my doctor says that the reason it still bothers me is arthritis. It can come at any age but is far more prevalent in older people. It is also possible that you may have hurt it without really realizing it in sports or work.

 

[Onix]

Hola Dave, perhaps you should get a set of dumbells and do a combination of arm and wrist exercises, in order to counterpoint the repetitive movements of your hands on the keyboard. A better solution is just go to the gym and exercise. I have carpal tunnel and I feel (not know, I am not a doctor) that exercise helps. There are also some sort of forearm braces that restrict hand movement and are supossed to help.

 

[jlo mein]

sometimes if you find that you're moving your mouse too much and thats causing wrist pain, maybe you should up your mouse sensitivity so you dont have to move your mouse too much.

I can actually move my cursor from the left of my monitor to the right without moving my wrist, using just my thumb and pinky to push the mouse.

edit: but hey im just 17 so i dont have these pains anyway

...

 

[mlchang]

I'm not a doctor but I get to play one in medical school.

Your symptoms could be consistent with tendonitis and some inflammation of the ulnar nerve which goes around the elbow. Notice how when you hit your "funny bone" only you're ring and pinky finger get tingly. Well that's your ulnar nerve.

I'm no orthopedist or anything, but it could also just be some muscle strain in the muscles in your hand or finger. And are you sure you haven't accidentally bumped it some time or slept on it funny. Do you have any swelling in the joints? Are they red?

Two quick tests you can do for CTS is to 1) put your hands back to back in front of you, pointing down. It's hard to describe, but it would be like a reverse prayer position. So instead of palms, backs of your hands and wrists, and instead of fingers pointing up, point them down to the floor. So basically you're trying to flex your wrist. Do this for 30 seconds. If you feel tingling or numbness this is a positive Phelan's sign. 2) Tinel's sign - tap over the wrist crease. Again if you feel tingling or numbness radiating into your palm, that would be positive.

Those are two of the "classic" findings in CTS.

Anyway, I don't think it's CTS and you probably slept on it wrong or bumped it sometime without remembering. Lot's of people come in with bruises and stuff that they don't remember getting. But definitely go to your doctor, you really have to be able to see these things in person to make any real judgements. Oh, and I made no recommendations in this email so you can't sue me or anything, besides I'm a broke student, so I've got nothing.

Michael

 

[dcg]

Thanks for all of the advice fellas. After reading up on CTS I really didn't think that was the culprit, and I passed both of mlchang's tests, so hopefully I'm in the clear. I will, however, be sure to mention it to my doctor next week.

The pain has actually been with me for a couple of weeks now, so I don't think it's caused by a bruise, but who knows. Also, the fact that it's in both hands leads me to suspect a bruise is not the problem. Unfortunately, I don't have the option of taking a break every hour at work, I work 10 hour days with an hour for lunch and two 15 min breaks per day. The rest of the time I'm on the computer.

 

[gloco]

Hey dcg,

Not to make you feel bad, i've had this tendonitis pain since the summer of 1999

Damn warcraft II