I have TOS, cubital tunnel syndrome, and pain in my neck and back. Virtually all the pain is activity related-- if I am able to spend a couple of days gently walking and lying down carefully on my side, and doing nothing else, the pain partially subsides.

Unfortunately, I have to work most days. My problems are generally repetitive strain injury, and typing is by far the biggest aggravating action. At best I can type for a few minutes without pain; on a bad day I can hardly type at all. I currently teach abroad, and my job is essentially part-time and does not require much computer use.

I would prefer, however, to work in the U.S., where I'm from. So I have a general question: what types of employment have people been able to do, given your own pain situation? I have a law degree from a top-3 program, but modern lawyers spend most of their time sitting at computers. In fact, it was in law school and at legal internships that my physical problems went from mildly bothersome to crippling.

I realize this question is both somewhat broad and somewhat individualized. My hope is to spur a general discussion and see what comes up. Many thanks to those who have input, thoughts, and advice.

Can you apply for disability, do some PT/Yoga for a year and then reassess yourself? That would be a fair chance to your body to heal.

I'm trying to do something along those lines. I'm switching jobs to what is basically a part-time teaching job that will require little computer use or repetitive motion. Ceasing to work altogether is a tough proposition for me because I have debts to pay off. Also, I want to start thinking about what happens at the end of this upcoming year one way or another. With repetitive strain injury, rest often makes the pain subside, but a return to the troublesome activity typically makes the pain come back. So just because I get myself feeling better for a year does not mean I can go back to sitting at a computer 10 hours a day 6 days a week.

I understand. I believe rest and proper sleep are a big part of any RSI related recovery. Since your symptoms are RSI related & not trauma, rest & relaxation can have a huge impact on your symptoms and allow you to gradually ease back into a more active lifestyle. I have RSI + trauma & am still working & its not exactly ideal.

Another thought..your TOS is probably the big thing, the cubital syndrome is downstream so if you fix your TOS, it will probably recede.

I am yet to find the answer to this question as well. Typing is the worst. When a switched to a job that required me to use the mouse but not type very much it was better but still painful. Some people have tried real estate but the driving is aggravating. Still at home recovering from bilateral rib resections.

Thanks for the responses. Working while trying to recover is definitely not ideal. I agree with your point that if I could fix the problems in my neck and shoulders, the "downstream" problems in my elbows and wrists would likely lighten up.

Real estate sounds like an interesting idea. Other things that I have been pondering are tutoring and bartending. I think I can do tutoring, but I'm not sure I could make enough money to live on. Bartending seems dicey. While it does not involve the specific repetitive movement that hurts me the most (computing), it still requires a lot of constant handwork. Thanks again!

Hi,

Saw this and am jumping in from another forum. Has anyone tried Dragon Software? Some of the folks on the RSD forum use it who cannot type much. It is also used for physician dictation. Might be an option to consider...I would think some employers would allow as a reasonable accommodation.

I have used Dragon since 2012 and it is simultaneously a lifesaver and a seriously flawed solution. I will spare you my endless detailed thoughts on the product, but in summary even under the best circumstances it's a good bit slower than a skilled typist. Also, the further away you get from basic dictation, the less useful it becomes. For example, it is so slow at things like formal footnote citations that it's basically useless. Another big drawback is that everyone else around you in the office has to put up with hearing "type."

Sorry for the negative response. I have been around the block with Dragon. It could be the right answer in the right situation, but at the moment it's still a limited piece of software.

Typing is one of the most painful TOS related activities I can think of. I got better after surgery to the point where I could actually type comfortably for long periods of time but my left hand has become recompressed recently and so I am typing this with one hand! I used to be a computer programmer but I had to give that up. Having pinched nerves sucks!

Now here is my advice, find a surgeon and find a surgeon fast. Waiting and "healing" won't do anything if you genuinely have TOS because there is nothing to heal. You have a structural abnormality that needs fixing. PT may work as well but I've wasted 1.5 years on that noise for only tears and lost time. I also rested for 8+ months. I found that setting up appointments with Drs in the states was easy (I live outside the USA) as I just needed to phone up their office and I didn't even need a referral.

After surgery I was able to do things I had lost the ability to do like holding a fork with my thumbs or clicking on a mouse.