[ramdas]

Hi guys,
I want to understand what kind of job you guys are doing? Since we cannot think of working on computers.
Anyone working as a teacher or professor ? I am doing masters to take teaching as a new profession but I am afraid of failure.
Please advise on the job that goes easy with TOS sufferers.

Regards
Ramdas

[JNT2014]

Originally Posted by ramdas

Hi guys,
I want to understand what kind of job you guys are doing? Since we cannot think of working on computers.
Anyone working as a teacher or professor ? I am doing masters to take teaching as a new profession but I am afraid of failure.
Please advise on the job that goes easy with TOS sufferers.

Regards
Ramdas

I am facing a similar situation, and teaching is one of the possible solutions I'm considering. At the moment I am teaching English abroad, which is a relatively low stress job physically. Even so, I am still in pain much of the time.

Do some searches on the forums (keywords job, employment, work, etc.). There are a few threads that touch on this topic. What people end up doing seems to depend a lot on their training and background. It also depends on your specific symptoms (for instance, some people can't use a computer but they can drive a car, some cannot do either, etc. and so forth).

[ramdas]

Originally Posted by JNT2014

I am facing a similar situation, and teaching is one of the possible solutions I'm considering. At the moment I am teaching English abroad, which is a relatively low stress job physically. Even so, I am still in pain much of the time.

Do some searches on the forums (keywords job, employment, work, etc.). There are a few threads that touch on this topic. What people end up doing seems to depend a lot on their training and background. It also depends on your specific symptoms (for instance, some people can't use a computer but they can drive a car, some cannot do either, etc. and so forth).

I can't work on computer and driving is painful too and flares my symptoms.
Master degree course is if 2 yrs.I am afraid of tos progression which may impact my paper writing capability.
And again teaching involves writing on blackboard though now a days most teachers use ppts and projectors.
Does tos affect writing? My ulnar nerve is affected and not median.


Regards
Ramdas

[Jomar]

I think teaching would involve a lot of paperwork, reports etc...but it could depend on age group, elementary, high school, college.
Reading & grading homework postures is quite the same as computer posture..and I suppose there is a lot of computer use with it also.

My hand writing is very bad , but my TOS came from multiple repetitive motion injuries..hand & arm cramps & tension combined with shoulder & neck problems.

My suggestion is to find out what you can do without repercussions or flares, then look for jobs that fit.

I find being able to move around and do a variety of activities works for me, but it took 2.5 yrs of PT & chiro & ongoing self care to get to that point.

[JulieJem]

My TOS symptoms developed as I was finishing my MBA and continued as I started teaching graduate school. Working at the computer is a definite trigger for me so creating my syllabuses, lecture materials and grading assignments can cause flareups. I teach a 4 hour class once a week and the lecturing work itself does not usually affect me too badly as long as I pay attention to my posture.

I will say that pushing myself to finish assignments while in school and then creating lectures while teaching made my condition worsen than if I was able to step away from the computer (I think).

[ramdas]

Originally Posted by JulieJem

My TOS symptoms developed as I was finishing my MBA and continued as I started teaching graduate school. Working at the computer is a definite trigger for me so creating my syllabuses, lecture materials and grading assignments can cause flareups. I teach a 4 hour class once a week and the lecturing work itself does not usually affect me too badly as long as I pay attention to my posture.

I will say that pushing myself to finish assignments while in school and then creating lectures while teaching made my condition worsen than if I was able to step away from the computer (I think).

Hi JulieJem,

Thanks for the information. I will be teaching engineering students.
At the moment studying for the exam is painful for me since it causes forward head no matter how many adjustments I do.Now since I have taken this course I am having some eye issues because of forward neck posture.
Sometimes I think in office we can keep the posture better but working on computer is a pain.
I have paid lot of money for master's education so I will have to go ahead and complete it.
What are your symptoms ? Did u have any neck troma?

@jo*mar :
What are your current symptom level? Are u completely away from Computer?

[Akash]

Originally Posted by ramdas

I can't work on computer and driving is painful too and flares my symptoms.
Master degree course is if 2 yrs.I am afraid of tos progression which may impact my paper writing capability.
And again teaching involves writing on blackboard though now a days most teachers use ppts and projectors.
Does tos affect writing? My ulnar nerve is affected and not median.


Regards
Ramdas

If only your ulnar nerve is affected, then that's a positive thing. Median/Radial involvement would mean significant issues.

BTW, are you sure yours is TOS and not a cervical issue? Many symptoms overlap.

http://painmd.tv/wp-content/uploads/...-Cervical1.jpg

My case (I think) is of wryneck. One side injured, gets cervical radiculopathy. Other side got TOS.

[JNT2014]

Originally Posted by ramdas

Hi guys,
I want to understand what kind of job you guys are doing? Since we cannot think of working on computers.
Anyone working as a teacher or professor ? I am doing masters to take teaching as a new profession but I am afraid of failure.
Please advise on the job that goes easy with TOS sufferers.

Regards
Ramdas

I have some further advice, which I may be presumptuous: if at all possible, try to think in terms of how to reduce and manage symptoms, rather than how to find the magical job that doesn't make things worse. A couple of years ago I too was spending a lot of time thinking about what job I could do. But since then, despite significant PT, chiropractic, and self-care, my symptoms have only gotten worse. The circle of jobs that I might be able to hold has gotten correspondingly smaller. So I am rapidly approaching a place where my options are: get better, or be on some type of long-term disability.

I realize this is pretty vague advice, and that if you knew how to get better, you probably wouldn't be here. My point is just that, in my case at least, I have not come up with a silver bullet job that won't risk harm to any of my symptoms.

[ramdas]

Originally Posted by JNT2014

I have some further advice, which I may be presumptuous: if at all possible, try to think in terms of how to reduce and manage symptoms, rather than how to find the magical job that doesn't make things worse. A couple of years ago I too was spending a lot of time thinking about what job I could do. But since then, despite significant PT, chiropractic, and self-care, my symptoms have only gotten worse. The circle of jobs that I might be able to hold has gotten correspondingly smaller. So I am rapidly approaching a place where my options are: get better, or be on some type of long-term disability.

I realize this is pretty vague advice, and that if you knew how to get better, you probably wouldn't be here. My point is just that, in my case at least, I have not come up with a silver bullet job that won't risk harm to any of my symptoms.

Hi Jnt2014,
Tnks for the advise. In India we don't get any disability benefit or any kind of social security we have.
So we have to find some means of earning by managing current situation. I have quit my successful IT job because it was flaring up my tos symptoms. Sometimes I think that job was good for my neck condition since we can take care of better ergonomics there but RSI issues popped up there.
Sometimes I think to go back with earlier job but I am in dilemma. What you do for your leaving?

[JNT2014]

Originally Posted by ramdas

Hi Jnt2014,
Tnks for the advise. In India we don't get any disability benefit or any kind of social security we have.
So we have to find some means of earning by managing current situation. I have quit my successful IT job because it was flaring up my tos symptoms. Sometimes I think that job was good for my neck condition since we can take care of better ergonomics there but RSI issues popped up there.
Sometimes I think to go back with earlier job but I am in dilemma. What you do for your leaving?

I am currently teaching English abroad (meaning outside the United States, which is where I'm from). My job requires very little typing, but as I said before, I am still in bad pain most of the time. Even grading papers causes pain in my upper arms and neck. I came here hoping that the relatively low strain job would give my body time to recover, but instead I am still just keeping pain at bay.

Have you gotten into Dragon at all? It's the leading voice recognition software on the market. I complain about it a lot, but frankly without it I would no longer be able to use a computer. I basically just use it for dictation, but it's powerful software, with lots of features and commands. Technically minded people can make it work pretty well for them, especially if their jobs are repetitive in nature.