Sore hands

If its a pain in your wrists, I''d reccommend tying a towel around them. I don''t know, I had that problem, and that seemed to help...

-=Lohrno

google it...there are many exercises intended to prevent carpal tunnel.
if you already have carpal tunnel...you're screwed.
Surgery will fix it...takes less than half an hour to do, but then you can't use your hand AT ALL for 6 weeks. Then you have physical therapy to get back 'to normal', which in my case, it fixed the pain, but I still don't have the full range of motion back and it's been two years.
Other signs of carpal tunnel are waking up in the night with your hand all pins-and-needles tingly, loss of strength in thumb, and cramping after intense manipulations (painting, typing, ...) without breaking to stretch.
See a doctor. The longer you let it go without surgery, the less of a success the surgery will be.

EDIT: P.S. you'll also get some excellent pain killers after the surgery

======================
Don't be a pussy, beat your kids.

[edited by - wolfmanyoda on October 3, 2002 12:37:26 AM]

I am not a doctor, but here''s a quick test:

When your hands get sore, do two of your fingers get numb?

If so, which two?

If it is the index and middle finger, it''s your carpal tunnel that is acting up. A wrist brace (should be easy enough to get at any drug store) can help relieve some of the pain and possibly help the condition if it isn''t a full blown case.

If it''s the ring and pinky finger, then it''s your cubital tunnel that is acting up (in the backside of your elbow). A wrist brace can help lessen the pain in the wrist and hand, but won''t really provide any other benefit. An elbow brace may be of some help, as well as tying a pillow around the elbow in question before going to sleep.

If not, then you probably just need to take a break from typing for a while. Take a short walk, squeeze a stress ball, etc, just don''t go right back into typing for a few minutes.

Try looking up ergonomics on google and ask a doctor about what is going on with you. Don''t rush into the surgery if your doctor suggests it though. It is possible to resolve the condition through anti-inflammatory medication, and ultimately have a better outcome.

For Mother GameDev!

I seemed to be getting the same thing a couple of months ago, mostly from holding my hand in that ''poised'' position over the mouse, right-clicking and that damned mousewheel. Since then I have been using the mouse with my left hand. I would recommend giving that a try, don''t be put off by how awkward it feels to start with, you will be surprised how quickly you get used to it.
One of those trackballs that use the thumb to move the ball also looks attractive but I haven''t got one yet. I think the key is variety, maybe switch between left/righthand, mouse/trackball etc regularly hopefully would help.
Anyway these days I can use my right hand again for reasonable periods of time without pain, and it improves all the time.

if you ever feel pain, no matter how small, in your index finger or wrist when using your computer:

STOP USING YOUR COMPUTER AND GO DO SOMETHING ELSE.

RSI and Carpal Tunnel aren''t worth getting. I dont have it myself, but it sounds nasty.

The best way to test is to hold your arms in front of you, palms down. Now, point your fingers down and press the backs of your hands together (think of a person praying, but pointing downward with backs of hands pressed together). If, after a minute or so, your wrists hurt, then it may be possible you have carpal.

Whenever mine gets bad, I just lay off the typing a bit (a couple days). It seems to help. Also, keep your wrists dry and at body temp (not too cold or too hot). I used to think soaking my wrists in hot water would help, but it doesn''t (it actually makes it worse sometimes).

To help, try to make sure your entire arm rests level with your mouse/keyboard. Try resting your arm on a table top and using the mouse that way. Don''t lift/strain your wrist when you move.