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Preventing and managing RSI and/or other injuries (feddit.nl)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Hi fellow programmers.

How do you ensure to prevent RSI and/or manage RSI? Especially with your hands and arms.

For those who don't know, RSI is a disorder that occurs when repeating the same movements too much for a long period of time. This frequently occurs when sitting behind a desk and using keyboard and mouse the entire day.

I personally have a great (but expensive) chair with arm rests and have a slightly ergonomic mouse (it has a curve, to make it more comfortable for my thumb).

Honestly, I dislike having to disrupt my computer activities every hour, because I'm usually quite immersed / invested into whatever I'm doing. Whether that's watching a movie, developing an app or simply playing videogames. However, I'll probably have to start taking frequent breaks, in order to prevent RSI from taking a hold in my body. Unfortunately, we only get one body, one chance, so let's not mess it up with neglecting breaks and acquiring RSI.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Two things.

And the most important one. My guitar teacher taught me that. Whenever I feel pain in my wrists, hands or fingers I stop, no matter what. I take a break, see how it goes afterwards and if it's not better I stop doing what I did for the rest of the day. Of course sometimes it's important work stuff that needs to be done. As for me, most of the times it's my right hand that hurts from mouse useage, I switch sides and get urgent things done, but still stop afterwards.
Sports, as usually, building up muscles in my hands and arms helps me personally. Not sure if there is scientific evidence for that.

But yea, number 1 is the most important thing, no job is worth having pain for the rest of your life.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I got a Logitech M570 wireless trackball mouse because I do a lot of CADD work. It allow me to keep my shoulders and arm at a comfortable neutral position and reduce strain on my mouse hand's wrist. Also allows me to work from basically anywhere on my laptop without the hassle and limitations of a trackpad or traditional mouse that requires a flat surface. One flick of my thumb and I can send my cursor sailing across three monitors. Obviously all of your advice is still very applicable. And people do mock me for my funky mouse, but I don't care because my wrist doesn't hurt any more. And, I will absolutely crush anyone in a thumb war now, so I got that going for me.