Ok, I'm sure this is SOMEWHERE in the threads, but I can't find it. TOS/Nerve injury --> leads to loss of strength and muscle mass in my left arm/left hand. --> This leads to decreasing manual dexterity, --> puts more stress on the tendons/ ligaments of my wrist when I use it to type, write, change diapers, yada yada yada. (keep in mind I'm left-handed, and am having issues teaching myself to use my other hand to carry things, pick things up, etc) Short of not typing (not really a viable option, since i type all day at work) is there anything i can do?

Sorry for the rambling.....waaaaaaaaay tired today, and finding it tough to get my thoughts all together.

Sorry I don't have an answer. My problem is my right side and I am right handed. I have noticed lately that my fingers and wrist will move, kind of lflinch. Almost like an electrical current. When I am typing I have to back space alot to correct myself. I also have weakness but I also don't know what to do. Dr. T. told me not to exercise so right now I am kind of stuck. Trying ice and heat. My husband has this great ice machine. Wrap the pads around your shoulder and it pumps ice cold water through. Man that is heaven! Also spending time in hot tub. As far as regaining strenght I don't know. I only have temporary answers for me. Good Luck! Linda

Dabbo,
Try looking at Dr Ellis' website, it goes into great detail about many things.You may find your answer there
www.doctorellis.com
Best wishes

Hey dabbo,

I know what you mean about it being hard to teach yourself to use your other hand, but it will get easier the more you practice. I am right-handed and my right hand is affected, so I am having to learn to use my left hand. I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel in my right hand before being diagnosed with TOS. The TOS is my major problem-- the CTS is only minor. However, I find that if I wear a wrist splint, it relieves my symptoms somewhat. I wear it mainly when I am driving, cooking, housecleaning, etc. I also do a lot of typing my job, which only aggravates my symptoms. If my symptoms are severe, I noticed it helps to also wear it at night while I sleep.

You may want to consider investing in a voice recognition software program such as Dragon naturally speaking. This is what I use now at work, and it is wonderful. It's accuracy increases, the more you use it. If you purchase it in a store. It will cost $80-$100, or you can purchase it off the Internet for less.

Another option is to make sure your workspace is set up ergonomically. Invest in a wrist rest for your keyboard and mouse pad, make sure your chair is at the right height for your desk, and that your computer monitor is straight ahead at eye level. Take frequent breaks, no more than 20 minutes at a time at the computer.

Hope this helps and I hope you feel better soon.

Dabbo,

I know you are having a rough time there.

Before my surgery, my job at that time required me to sit and do alot of typng also. By the end of each day ,left hand was swollen and blue.

Now after the surgery, I no longer have the swelliing or blueness, but still, if I sit and type too long..............oh, I pay.

I wish I had a good solution for you, I know its hard.

Peggy

THank you for the replies! I don't know how I had missed Dr. Ellis' website before, but that has lotsa good info. I've thought about the splint, and may give that a shot. The problem with voice software is that I work on a (albeit small) trading floor - alot of background noise, and I don't want the occasionaly 4 letter word to slip in there. But it is an idea... i have a wrist rest, but now its irritating my wrists. Oh well.... tryiing to look on the bright side of lfe (break into Monty Python Song...............)

sign up for the sorehand list, if you haven't already done so. it's free and you will automatically gain access to all of the archives that way. you will get tonz of ideas about ergonomics from those guys, as a lot of them are techies from the silicon valley... actually many it seems became practitioners post-RSI in alexander technique, feldenkrais, bowen work, etc., etc.

sharon butler subscribes to that list and chimes in occasionally. she loves to help little old ladies with knitting RSI's; it's hilarious (to me, anyhow - i'm sick that way, dabbo...).

wish i knew the exact link to throw up here for ya. but just go to www.ucsf.edu and use the search engine, enter the word 'sorehand' and you should be able to find it handily that way. oh, christ, i know that was terrible.

on the other hand, we have... 4 fingers and a thumb.

seriously, though, you do get some nonsense when you sign up for this email service, dabbo, but some of it is really good stuff. there are a lot of brainiacs on the sorehand list.

it is very amusing to watch the ones with raging TOS try and think their way out of it. but actually, with a swift dx and early and appropriate tx, i believe it IS possible. if you do decide to sign up, watch for a canuck engineer by the name of jonathan swann...

this young guy has spent the summer in allentown, PA with a PT by the name of suparna, who by all accounts is running one hell of a program for TOS'ers. she has been able to help many severe cases, including failed surgical cases, where others fear to tread.

if you google her name i believe the book she co-authored on RSI's, which is very highly regarded (and so of course i can't think of the title right now, sorry) will pop up, as will her website and info about her facility.

this is what i mean when i say the commonwealth of PA ain't a bad place to live if you HAVE to be stricken with the dread TOS monster. togut, fried, schwartzmann, suparna... all right there. and i think it's awesome that the latter has a set-up which encourages out-of-towners to come and stay for 6 to 8 weeks of rehab for an intensive program of recovery. she actually can help you get sustainable results if you are willing to do the work.

the trouble with switching to your opposing hand is that sooner or later that hand will become symptomatic, i'm afraid. so regardless of how you choose to approach it, dabbo, i really would explore those ergonomics as soon as you can.

dimarie's suggestion to another poster to have an OT come in to the workplace for a consult is an excellent one. this is what they do best. but i am big on self-help (not as big as i am on giving unsolicited advice and then not following it for myself, but still...)

hang in there. you are asking all the right questions. finding the right keyboard, the right mouse, chair, chair height, screen/height, lighting, etc. are all important aspects.

there is a fairly new software program out called desktop dr. i believe which probably costs less than $100, but still available for free promo trial if i'm not mistaken. i hear it's very sophisticated; it will give you the appropriate stretches to do for your particular dx (or whichever area of the body feels tight or in need of attention), tell you when to take breaks from your computer, do breathing exercises, all that crap (oops, i mean valuable important stuff).

you don't want to end up like me, dabbo. save yourself, man!

alison
"Be Brave"

I don't mind the nonsense so long as I can get good use out of the rest of the stuff, so I'm signing up today. I have the ergonomic chair, my 3 monitors are at eye level, I have the wrist rest, a headset so i don't pinch the phone between my ear and shoulder (did that for about forever). My keyboard isn't very ergonmically friendly (keys are waaaaaaaaaaay to close together), but I need this particular keyboard because it has a thumbprint thingy I need to log on to some software. arrrrghhhhhhhhhh. I'm gonna try going to a Feldenkrais class in the next week or 2; i have no idea how to get OT to tell me what to do though.

Alison - the potential overuse of my right hand/arm and the potential for that hand to develop problems whether sympathetic (i think thats the term) or just me injuring it has been on the forefront of my mind. Definitely trying to avoid that!!