Carpal Tunnel / pain and mylot
By SomeCowgirl
@SomeCowgirl (32189)
United States
October 30, 2012 6:01pm CST
I know a few mylotters here suffer from this, and I may be one of them as well, atleast a very mild version of it. Besides coming online to earn a few extra bucks, I use my hands at work three times a week as a cashier, I lift, I scan, I type.
Once in awhile my hand will go kind of numb or just ache, and I know it must be because of my abuse on it with all the typing and lifting..
When it gets to that point, if I can, I stop. I'm lucky it's only happened a handful of times, and stretched out (as in it's not three days in a row but maybe once or twice a month). I know I need to keep watch though and try to give my hands a rest.
Do you suffer from carpal tunnel?
How do you give your fingers, hands and wrists a rest when you need to?
5 people like this
14 responses
@liviaslife73 (238)
• United States
31 Oct 12
I have the same problem, but mine comes from years of working as a cashier. Then last year I fell down the stairs & got a hairline fracture on my right wrist which of course is the same wrist that I suffer from Carpal Tunnel. Some day's the pain is worse then others, when that happens I put on my brace. It's a wrist brace I bought at Walmart that was made for people who suffer from Carpal Tunnel. I should rest it when the pain is too bad & sometimes I do, but I try to make as much money as I can online since I am unable to work outside the home.
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32189)
• United States
31 Oct 12
I've thought about a wrist brace if it gets too bad and I have worn one when it hurt too much. I had it hurt worse before when typing was really all I did. Now I try to rest my wrists. I hate to hear that you can't work outside the home and rely on online work, I know how that feels. Hoping you can find something online that will suffice and won't take too much wrist work, lol.
Good Luck, oh and welcome to mylot! (unless you've been here for a long time?)
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169505)
• United States
31 Oct 12
I got some stretchy wrist bands that are similar to what tennis players wear but are a tight fabric that has copper threads run into them. I wear them at times. I have a pain that is definitely not carpal tunnel as it is on top of my wrist and I still will wear those wrist bands.
@Bionicman (3958)
• Czech Republic
31 Oct 12
A few years ago when I was playing an online game a lot, I got to a point of developing a bad case of carpal tunnel. My hand was hurting even when I was doing nothing and I was afraid I would need an operation. So I just quit computer for 2 weeks, stress was relieved and it went back to normal on it's own. Never had that problem ever again. Do some hand stretches every now and then while you're typing on keyboard.
1 person likes this
@randylovesdar (4932)
• United States
31 Oct 12
I wonder if I suffer from Carpal Tunnel as well because I get pain my wrists whenever I am on here for long periods of time. I am a college student and all my classes are online. I use the Internet to make money because I am not working because of the bad economy and no jobs. I have a wrist brace, but it is hard for me to wear when typing because it hurts even more. I just press onward if I can so I can make as much as possible.
@succeednow (1632)
• Singapore
31 Oct 12
Hi somecowgirl,
Although I have no personal experience with carpal tunnel syndrome I knew of a relative who was suffering from it. The pain got so unbearable that she had to undergo an operation. After that she was fine. Anyway I guess you need lots and lots of rest for your wrists. Typing out responses on mylot on a keyboard for any prolonged amount of time is a no no. May I suggest thst you get yourself a tablet pc and start typing with one or two fingers. This will give your hands some feedom to move about and not be so restrictive and repetitive like as in using a regular keyboard. I'm think that will help if you cannot stay away from mylot.
@Dominique25 (9460)
• United States
31 Oct 12
Sorry to hear that you are having problems with carpal tunnel. Every now and then I have pain in my wrist from being at the computer so much. I do have to take breaks and try and do other things when my wrist starts to bother me. It often seems there will be something that happens when we work hard in some regard. Sometimes I will start to get headaches from looking at the screen for long periods of time.
@GardenGerty (169505)
• United States
31 Oct 12
There was a time when my doctor thought I had carpal tunnel. It has basically gone away. I take mega doses of B6 and I eat certain herbs. I have done some exercises I read about online too. I also use a paraffin bath and it relaxes my hands and relaxes them. It costs so much to have one done at a beauty shop or at the chiropractor, so I spent under $40 and got my own.
@ElicBxn (64171)
• United States
31 Oct 12
you might look into a brace for your wrist... I found an ergonomic keyboard at Goodwill, that helps me - but it does take some retraining to use it - I used one at work before I retired so that switching for me wasn't hard.
Try to keep your wrists in a neutral a position as possible - that means straight and "flat"
Work on retraining yourself so that you stop the flexing of your hands as much as possible.
Now, having said that, actually there are hand exercises that do flex them, but without any kind of repetitive motion or weight on them.
http://www.eatonhand.com/hw/ctexercise.htm
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
31 Oct 12
I don't have carpal tunnel, but I do have tendinitis diagnosed by a doctor in my left hand and self-diagnosed in my right. What you are doing, stretching, is the best thing you can do. I don't know how you stretch it, but on this site I found by straightening my arm in front of me, and then grabbing my fingertips with my other hand and gently pulling my fingers towards me, helps. Of course if you wrist is swollen you don't want to do that. If it is swollen you need an anti-inflammatory and ice.
@celticeagle (189927)
• Boise, Idaho
31 Oct 12
I have this off and on and even got the wrist covers and tried using them. I couldn't type with them no matter what I did or how I positioned the wrist covers. i just quit for awhile if it starts hurting very badly. I haven't had it for quite sometime but then I haven't been writing like i was.
@deedee328 (1122)
• United States
31 Oct 12
Some:
I have had surgery on both hands to relieve carpal tunnel. The syndrom is generally caused by extensive use of the hands in activities such as typing and sewing, not lifting. Early symptoms include three fingers that go numb. I had to wear braces for several months and eventually, i suffered from severe numbness from fingertips to elbow. If you are just having occasional numbness, it may not be carpal tunnel. In my experience, numbness was almost a steady occurance. It was very painful and woke me up several times a night.
@rog0322 (2828)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
31 Oct 12
Hi,
No problem with my hands here, it is my eyes that is complaining from too much eyeballing the monitors. Desktop at the office, laptop while mobile, more PC and LCD TV at home, it just hurt going for nine, ten hours on stretch. That's beside reading the newspaper and that paperback on the night table before going to sleep. What an abuse, no wonder my eyes, clear as they are, are complaining now. It hurts throbbing at the temples especially when I stare at that 24-inch LCD TV from six feet away. I should ease up on this pace or I'll be blind (heaven forbid!) in a few years time.
@alberello (4752)
• Italy
31 Oct 12
Well, even though I spend many hours in front of the computer, especially to type on Mylot, luckily for me, at the moment, do not denounce any pain on the hands or carpal tunnel.
Of course, you have to consider the fact that I take also of the hour of break, as Mylot, or other sites to work with the computer, I use them as a hobby and not for work.
Obviously your case is different. Just the fact that you do work as a cashier, you're always in contact with the keys to press, and this, in my point of view it might screw contribute to bring such pain.
However, in my opinion, you do well to take periods of rest for your hands.
That said, have you ever thought to see a doctor about it?
