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Comment by gymbeaux | Hacker News Reader

If I were you I would find out which “RSI” you have. Mine wasn’t from “overuse” per sé, just posture and needing to stretch/exercise.

If your RSI is Carpal Tunnel or Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, a quick and easy surgery is the answer.

If your RSI is tendinitis (unlikely, for all the times I see people self-diagnose with it) rest is your best bet.

If your RSI is arthritis, there are medications and even surgeries out there to help with it, but that’s the easiest one to diagnose because it just requires looking at an x ray of your hand.

You may have carpal tunnel syndrome-like symptoms, but that likely just means you have nerve impingement somewhere between your cervical (neck area) spine and your hand.

I’m not a doctor, but through personal experience I can tell you, you probably have the power to get rid of your “RSI” without resorting to dictation software and so on.

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Regarding stretching, I found the book Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome to be a huge help. It has lots of suggestions for kinds of stretches to do based on the kind of work you do, but my big takeaway (and according to the author, the most important part) was how to do the stretches: only stretch until you barely feel a stretch, then hold there until you feel a sense of release. In my experience that was more effective than the “stretch until you feel a good strong stretch” strategy.

https://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Carpal-Syndrome-Repetitive...

I have a copy of this which I no longer need. If anyone in Australia wants it hit me up and I'll mail it to you. @johnnydecimal@hachyderm.io.

FWIW -- I know this isn't an RSI thread -- mine was 100% fixed by changing my desk. It was too high, and my classic 5-wheeled office chair was unstable. I lowered the desk to about 68cm (I'm 172cm) and bought a chair with wooden legs (Ikea, ~$80), started doing light stretches in the morning, and that fixed it for me.

I made the desk from Ikea cabinets and a $100 plain wooden door. So it's a) cheap, b) massive, and c) I can screw things in to the underside.

I significantly reduced the symptoms of my carpel tunnel by changing from a normal height mechanical keyboard to one with slim key caps. I really miss my Das Ultimate but the difference is really noticeable.

Aah yep, I also had a Das, and the Filco Majestouch 2. Beautiful keyboards. Sold 'em.

Now I use the very-average Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic. Low keycaps, low travel. And of course a split layout.

Do not use the execrable MS mouse that comes with that keyboard. I love the MX Anywhere series, I currently use a 2 and a 3. They're light, so you can nudge them round with your fingers without having to move your arm too aggressively.

Ah yes I know that keyboard - mine is a Keychron K2 V2 with optical switches. It's decent to type on but I miss having a volume knob and proper function keys.

I find it really helps not having the number pad - it means my mouse can be closer to the keyboard so my wrists are straighter.

For a mouse I use a MX Master 3 which I'm very happy with.

I also use an MX Master (2S), and wish I would have switched sooner. It can connect to 3 devices (via Bluetooth or USB receivers) with a button on the bottom to switch, and an “infinite” scroll wheel with multiple modes, which is awesome!

I tried the Master but found it a tad large. As above, I'm not a ginormous person: 172cm (5' 8", just), 70kgs. I don't have huge hands. I found pushing round the Master to be a bit too much work, which sounds preposterous but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

The Anywhere is just smaller, lighter. More nimble.

Interesting! I like my mouse to be as heavy has possible, I find it more preside and exacting.

I tried an MX Master 3 and 2S, I also have the MX Ergo trackball mouse and the Logitech vertical mouse. The vertical mouse is what I ended up with, but for years I would switch mice, switch between several mice within a day, switch hands - and they were all half-measures that just kind of delayed the "degeneration". The issue, it would seem, was not the mouse or overusing the mouse. The issue seems to have come from my shoulder area (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome aka TOS / Pec. Minor Syndrome), which a vertical mouse will uniquely address as it allows your shoulder to be less interiorly-rotated than a standard mouse, even a trackball mouse that is not vertical.

I remember reading a Medium article a while ago about a software engineer who described how he addressed his "RSI", which I suspect was just TOS - he switched to an ergonomic keyboard and vertical mouse, which over a period of MANY MONTHS more or less resolved his RSI. He talked about how he still has to be careful and take breaks often. I really think, especially considering his age (20s), he could have kept the mouse and keyboard he had, if he just engaged in posture-correcting shoulder stretches and strength exercises.

Any experience with low-profile mechanical keyboards, seems like a potential compromise between something like the Das, and the microsoft sculpt?

No, I wasn't aware of any.

My personal trainer told me the same- you won't gain flexibility by "forcing" the stretch, only by stretching just beyond where the muscle wants to stop, holding it there for around 30 seconds (and you should feel a "release"), and repeating the next day.

This is solid advice! I had "RSI" for years (could barely type or write) and in the end what solved everything were exercises to improve my posture and strengthen my back, neck and shoulders.

There's a lack of awareness too - I saw three orthopedic surgeons and one neurologist and none asked me about, mentioned, or tested me for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (which is likely what you had based on what fixed your symptoms). I only learned about TOS myself after they ruled out Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and going back to Google to try to find what could be causing CTS symptoms other than CTS.

> Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (which is likely what you had based on what fixed your symptoms)

Sounds about right. Nice to know there's a name for it!

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