Typing Too Much? Tips on Dealing with Carpal Tunnel and RSI

Can you type too much as a writer? The short answer to the question is yes.

When you start freelancing you may not have enough work to think about this issue but as you get busier and busier you might find that you start to experience pain or discomfort in your hands and wrists and arms going all the way up to the elbow. If this is happening to you then perhaps you are showing the first signs of carpal tunnel syndrome or repetitive strain injury. (Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, so if you have symptoms, please seek medical advice. This post is based on my own experience.) Believe me, this is not something you want to mess with, because if you let it get too bad it could interrupt your writing career for good. So what can you do about it?

Develop good work habits

One of the things that you should do anyway is taken regular breaks from the computer. That means getting up and walking away and doing something that does not involve those same muscles (in other words, it’s not the time to send a quick text message) for about 5 minutes in every hour or 15 minutes every two hours. If you’re bad at remembering to take breaks there are several online tools you can use to remind you or simply set a pop-up reminder in Google Calendar. There are some excellent tips on Writer Unboxed.

Aim for balance

The second thing to do — and I know it’s easier said than done — is to balance your workload across the week so you don’t spend too many hours in any one day typing. This is where many of us fall down and I know I am guilty of that. When the work is available, you say yes and you do it, often ignoring the cost to your health. The trouble with this is that you won’t be able to ignore it forever.

Use dictation software

And then there’s the third thing — and this one works no matter what your workload is. It’s the one I’m using today, dictating my writing work with Dragon NaturallySpeaking. You do have to spend a little bit of time getting it set up at the start and as you go you have to invest additional time training the software to recognise unusual words and phrases. However, even out of the box it is amazingly accurate and provides an instant solution to the problem of wrist and arm pain.

Support your wrists

Of course, you still have to spend time rereading and correcting and this probably involves some typing. So the best thing you can do is to support your wrists adequately while you do this. I have tried a lot of wrist straps over the years and I can say that the ones I am using now are the best I have ever found. They provide the right mix of support and comfort making it impossible for you to injure yourself further while avoiding that vice like grip that some supports have. So if you’re looking for my tip I would get the Wellgate for Women Slim Fit Wrist Support. These are usually available in separate packs for left and right hands. I’ll be wearing mine daily for the next couple of weeks

Exercise and massage

I’ll also be going back to my hand and wrist exercises to increase blood flow to the tendons. Another option is to get massage specifically tailored for this kind of condition. I’ve had this before and it brings almost immediate relief.

Apart from walking away from the computer, what do you do to relieve the symptoms of wrist and hand pain?

This post was dictated with Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

(Image: pieceoplastic)