I haven’t been posting too often because I’m trying to limit my computer time. The problem is this numbness in my fingers, which a doctor told me is the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome. Wearing wrist braces and cutting my typing time a bit is helping.
The biggest help has been RSI Guard, a small computer program that monitors my typing and mouse usage and then, at certain limits, makes me take a break. Little videos guide me in doing a few exercises for my hands. I’ve been using it for about two weeks and my hands are feeling a lot better; I certainly don’t have the numbness to the degree I did before.
I know a lot of you work on computers and run the risk of carpal tunnel, tendonitis and other Repetitive Stress Injuries, so I wanted to point you to this program. RSI Guard has a 45-day trial, so you can test it out for free. Purchasing it will cost $65…which is less than your first doctor’s visit will cost, if you look at it that way.
Workrave is a good program too, and its free. It alerts you when to take micro-breaks and longer breaks, and comes with an exercise tutorial to get yourself started.
http://www.workrave.org/welcome/index.php
There are installers for Linux and Windows, and the source which should compile on pretty much any Unix out there (OS X being excepted)