A Domainer’s Enemy: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Posted on | November 29, 2009 | 5 Comments
*** I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU READ TIM’S COMMENT ON HELPING WITH CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME AND BEING ON THE COMPUTER ALL DAY. CLICK HERE TO READ IT!
I’ve been hearing a bunch about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome lately. This isn’t exactly directly related to domaining, but the more I talk to domainers, the more I realize we all spend a LOT of time using our computers. I figured this post might help bring up an issue that should definitely be mentioned to some people who start getting heavily involved in domaining. A lot of the other domaining blogs have been covering domaining topics while I’m on my “post drought”, so I figured this post would be unique enough to post 
.
The more I hear about it, the more I feel like I’m going to develop it some day.It terrifies me just thinking about it, especially after hearing my aunt’s story on getting carpal tunnel syndrome surgery recently, and a couple friends whom have been diagnosed with it as well. I’ve had days where developing/reading/researching on the computer for 8 hours with no breaks would be “typical”… and, of course, I now get scared those days will haunt me in the future.Here you go, people who sit on the computer all day! Do things “right” and don’t sacrificing your health (though it’s not a super serious medical situation, it will probably still affect your life in a negative way) being a domainer! I’ve linked some information regarding carpal tunnel syndrome for people to read. Domainers–be smart when using your #1 tool: your computer!
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome at Family Doctor
For our international readers, I’ve went ahead and linked to Wikipedia articles regarding carpal tunnel syndrome in your native languages:
متلازمة النفق الرسغي
কারপাল টানেল সিন্ড্রোম
Σύνδρομο Καρπιαίου Σωλήνος
سندرم کارپال تونل
Syndrome du canal carpien
תסמונת מנהרת שורש כף היד
手根管症候群
Синдром запястного канала
Síndrome do túnel carpal
กลุ่มอาการคาร์ปัล ทันเนล
Karpal Tünel Sendromu
腕隧道症候群
What causes carpal tunnel syndrome?
Doing the same hand movements over and over can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. It’s most common in people whose jobs require pinching or gripping with the wrist held bent.
Can I prevent carpal tunnel syndrome?
Yes. See the box below for some tips on preventing carpal tunnel syndrome.Many products you can buy — such as wrist rests — are supposed to ease symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. No one has proven that these products really prevent wrist problems. Some people may have less pain and numbness after using these products, but other people may have increased pain and numbness.
Things that may help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome
- Lose weight if you’re overweight.
- Get treatment for any disease you have that may cause carpal tunnel syndrome.
- If you do the same tasks over and over with your hands, try not to bend, extend or twist your hands for long periods of time.
- Don’t work with your arms too close or too far from your body.
- Don’t rest your wrists on hard surfaces for long periods of time.
- Switch hands during work tasks.
- Make sure the tools you use aren’t too big for your hands.
- Take regular breaks from repeated hand movements to give your hands and wrists time to rest.
- Don’t sit or stand in the same position all day.
- If you use a keyboard a lot, adjust the height of your chair so that your forearms are level with your keyboard and you don’t have to flex your wrists to type.
More posts relating to this subject
Tags: carpal tunnel > carpal tunnel syndrome > computer health > computer risks > domainers > Domaining
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5 Responses to “A Domainer’s Enemy: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome”
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"there's nothing like having a vision, imagining it, making it, then having it work, especially if your very being depends on it"
November 29th, 2009 @ 12:05 pm
Here’s a few tips from someone who knows and has had to make major adjustments :
There is software called NIB that does the clicking for you. Every time you stop moving the mouse it clicks. It takes some getting used to, but once you do you’ll love it. It counts clicks also and does other things. I saw after using it that I was saving some 4,000 clicks a day not using my hand.
Then there is a mouse called AirO2bic Mouse that lets your hand sit vertically instead of horizontially. A vertical hand position more natural position and much easier really.
I also modified my arm rests by adding more wood to the existing wood armrests to make them wider. This allows for more support lengthwise from your arm to your keyboard.
Next, do yourself a favor and go buy the Microsoft Natural Erognomic Keyboard which spaces the left buttons from the right and allows your hand to sit at 45 degree angle, which is the natural position of your hand. Almost immediately you’ll see how much less tired your hands become.
Lastly, I discovered I could use two mouses at once. There are several ports on my computer so I decided to see what would happen if I attached two mouses at once. Now if my left hand gets tired I can switch to my right for awhile, and vice versa.
Anyhow….I wish I had discovered this earlier as I now have some pain even with this method. But I am convinced it saved my hands. If this advice helps one person I will be very happy. I know how much pain a person can have from this.
November 29th, 2009 @ 2:17 pm
The closest thing I ever had to this was Car Pool Tunnel syndrome. Basically after the Northridge earthquake, I was averse to driving under overpasses and tunnels for the next several months.
November 29th, 2009 @ 10:50 pm
@ Tim:
Those were some WONDERFUL tips. I really appreciate the time you took commenting. I am definitely going to explore your methods a bit, especially since I know I won’t be getting off the computer anytime soon.
@ Phio:
Ahh. At least it lasted on several months! Carpal Tunnel is something that will always be with you. I’ve read that even after surgery/treatment you never really are “100%” again, which is why it’s something that really worries me.
Thanks for commenting
!
November 30th, 2009 @ 6:58 am
Hi.. ashouri .. it’s nice to see you here.. I didn’t heard about the term carpal tunnel syndrome… but i m aware of that pain.. it will getz wid non stop working on ur laptops nd pc’s.. But i didn’t know that it can become a major problem…
regards
cleon dann
December 3rd, 2009 @ 3:00 am
I really enjoyed reading this article. I am a webmaster and I often experience wrist pain…
Check out an ebook that I found http://www.eliminatecarpaltunnelpain.com/