Ask HN: How do you manage forearm/wrist pain?

7 points by jimothyhalpert7 4 years ago | 22 comments

Today is the first day that I had to admit to myself that I'm not capable of finishing any work, because of my forearm pain.

I'm glad to be at a point where I realise that it's only that - for about two years I thought i began to hate coding and any computer related work. Looking back i now realise that was me rationalizing my forearm pain.

I have a difficult time accepting that this will be like this forever. I'm optimistic that there's a way to significantly reduce the pain, without surgery.

What is your experience?

kmos17 4 years ago |

Yoga and stretching exercises, specifically targeting the back, has helped me a lot with wrist pain. Ergonomics is crucial as well, especially monitor height so you can keep your back and neck straight. In terms of exercises, squats and core exercises like planks, even just against a wall, sun salutation, and core building leg raises have all been really helpful. From my experience all the wrist and arm pain I have had from computer/phone usage is very much linked to posture and back strength. Hope that helps.

prirun 4 years ago |

A key thing to avoid tendonitis / carpal tunnel syndrome / repetitive stress is to make sure that while typing, your wrists are not bent. I would get a couple of wrist supports, the kind that ensure you can't bend your wrist, and wear them 24/7 until your tendonitis calms down. You may have to cut down on work to let it calm down. Another tip: do not stretch out your hands while moving fingers; this causes stress. Move your hand instead.

As others have said, ergonomics are a big deal. Check out some videos on correct piano posture; it's similar to the typing problem. Basically you want everything at near right angles. For me (mainly neck issues, not wrist), I put my Macbook on the desk, adjusted the chair height so my forearms were horizontal, and put an external monitor on a tall pedestal so that I could look straight out instead of having to bend my neck down all the time to look at the laptop screen. I don't use the laptop screen at all (it's blanked out).

dyingkneepad 4 years ago |

I had to change desks and computers (thanks, Covid) and started feeling significant wrist pain in one specific configuration I tried. Then I bought a split keyboard (Dygma Raise) and a keyboard tray to attach under the table and the pain went away. I am now building courage to spend a few thousands on a better chair, because the one Corporate sent me sucks. But seriously, even switching the chair height makes a difference.

You can also try to make your arms stronger. Have you tried those exercises where you roll a stick with something heavy attached to it through a rope? I bet there are a million other better exercises too.

On a last note, in the past I felt significant wrist pain due to bad punching technique when practicing Muay Thai. I was bending my wrist while doing punches, especially uppers. Fixing that made the problem go away in a few days. So yeah your problem could be coming from outside.

neom 4 years ago |

I use a CBD + THC cream called "momma canna cream" (You can find it online and easily see what's in it and how to acquire something similar, the only thing I don't know is what strand they are using in this cream specifically, but I suspect it's a indica dominant plant) - I cannot stress enough how much of a life saver this has been for me, seriously. I used to be super skeptical of topical CBD, especially without some THC in it, but this stuff has totally changed my wrist pain situation. Every time I get a sore wrist (rarely these days) I put a healthy slathering of it on, rub it in like crazy, and then do hand stretching for 3-5 minutes. I know it sounds snake-oil-esq, but I swear it's been huge for me. If you wanna email me an address, I don't mind shipping you a jar.

jimothyhalpert7 4 years ago | |

Thanks. Does this not feel like a "band-aid"? Do you notice your pain getting progressively worse with time?

neom 4 years ago | | |

Not not at all. Again, I know this sound snake-oil-esq but it feels "regenerative" - I thought it was just a pain killer (and hey, better than tylenol etc even if it is) at the start, but the more I used it and stretched, the less I needed it and the longer the pain was gone, after I couple months, I only need it every few weeks. (28/yr through 33 was just continual pain because of computer work.) I get a good amount rubbed in and really really push and stretch deep in between the joints into the wrist, working it in till the muscles are very relaxed and supple, then just the usual wrist stretching/movements you'd expect. To an extent everything is a band-aid I suppose, damage is done, but this genuinely seem to do more than just kill the pain. The only thing I'd say about CBD/THC cream is I think that the plant they use to make it probably matters a lot, and so finding one that works for you could be needle in the haystack, this one is great for me.

webmobdev 4 years ago |

Regular breaks are important when you work long hours - Use Workrave (Free, for Windows, Linux - https://workrave.org/ ) or TimeOut (Not free, for macOS - https://www.dejal.com/timeout/ ) on your computer for this. It does take some time and patience getting used to the regular interruptions, but it really helps. My shoulder, wrist and finger pain reduced greatly once I diligently took all the breaks. (That said, don't do this without first fixing the ergonomics issues, if any. And as others have pointed out, exercises also help.)

cweill 4 years ago |

Place your keyboard so that it is below your elbows. Usually that means on a negatively tilted keyboard tray under your desk. This simple change eliminated my wrist pain and numbing.

See Cornell's ergonomics lab guide: https://ergo.human.cornell.edu/AHTutorials/typingposture.htm...

c3y 4 years ago |

I have similar issues, that continue to develop as I get older, and it's been a significant journey to mitigate!

- I used that Microsoft ergonomic keyboard that was ubiquitous, the name of which I can't remember, for years, but eventually the floaty keys bugged me. I have a recently-acquired ZSA Moonlander mk I [1] now, which I'm finally mounting the learning curve of. This helps //a lot//, along with:

- Proper desk/surface height. I chronically let either my forearms rest on the edge of the desk, or my wrists sit on the keyboard/laptop, and this has a measurable effect on my wrist and hand strain. It's been difficult to adopt the muscle tone for letting my hands 'float' over the keyboard after so many years, but not having that strain on my muscles/nerves from the constant pressure on my forearms makes a huge difference; likewise, not having my wrists resting on the desk/wrist pad lets my fingers travel more naturally.

- I do a lot of stretching and exercising to help strengthen my wrists and I check, a lot, that their natural position is one of alignment with between my hands and forearms. Minimizing left-and-right pivoting especially has helped a lot; most of my strain from laptop keyboards tends to be when I carelessly let pinkies dictate how my hand moves when I need to hit Return, or whatever. I still need to zero in on the best desk hit to facilitate this, but being conscious of it is a start.

- A coworker recommended an RPM Power Powerball[2]; I haven't used it extensively, but it is //immediately// a pretty clear and major wrist workout, so I can very much see how it would have a positive impact. Anecdotally, he said all of his forearm and wrist issues subside when he's good about using it for ten or fifteen minutes a day.

1. https://www.zsa.io/moonlander/ 2. https://rpmpower.com/product/nsd-powerball-autostart-pro-fus...

thorin1 4 years ago |

I had a similar problem and couldn't use keyboard/mouse for a week when it reached the tipping point.

Definitely start with the ergonomics of your workspace.

This solved my issues:

1. Use trackball instead of a mouse - Logitech M570 is amazing.

2. Use wrist support or a really slim keyboard like the Apple Magic keyboard. Your wrists should not be bent.

3. Use keyboard without numerical keys at the right. Reaching too much to the right to use the mouse was also causing me the issues.

Also don't forget about ergonomics of your desk, chair, and display.

caspercrf 4 years ago |

Acupuncture. I had a similar issue with my pinkie and ring finger on my right hand started going numb at work. I had an ergonomics specialist from my company give me a whole new setup, but the only thing that actually helped was getting acupuncture/massage 1-2 times a week for a couple weeks straight. One interesting thing I found out was that while I was having numbness in my hand, the nerve that was causing it was in my shoulder/upper back.

user1988_203 4 years ago | |

I am thinking of exploring this option and wanted to more about the experience.

frompdx 4 years ago |

I highly recommend the Kinesis Advantage2 keyboard. I was experiencing shoulder, forearm, and wrist pain with almost every other keyboard I tried. It's expensive and takes some getting used to, but I have not had shoulder, forearm, wrist pain, or pain in the joints of my hand since I started using mine. Now that I am used to it I can't go back to using a more traditional keyboard.

Raed667 4 years ago |

I had the same issue, here is what worked for me:

- Vertical mouse (I got the Logitech one)

- Smaller keyboard so i don't have to spread too much around the desk

- Chair with arm-rest so my elbows are always on the same level as the desk

- I keep a hand grip strengthener to exercise while sitting at the desk

- Communicated with my team that sometimes I'll be in pain and would prefer a call rather than typing long messages on slack

readflaggedcomm 4 years ago |

Arnica montana is the only thing that soothed a pulled and cramping set of muscle and tendons in my leg. It does something to capillaries to increase blood flow like a deep tissue massage, and it's long-known for healing bruises.

Topical CBD compliments it well if needed. I didn't like the dulling effect on my leg after it had healed to a certain point.

onefuncman 4 years ago |

At the first sign of any pain I try to identify the cause. It's almost always ergonomic related.

The most useful stretch/exercise I do is pushing my hands together, palms flat against each other, in front of my sternum with my fingers pointing up, out, and down for ~30 seconds in each position, once or twice a day.

tracedddd 4 years ago | |

It’s vital to address ergonomic issues as soon as possible. Try a variety of keyboard and mouse positions, types, elevations to find something that works. There are general recommendations online but they don’t work for everyone.

codingdave 4 years ago |

Double-check your ergonomics. Stretch your hands and wrists. Take breaks. If that fails, ask a doctor - RSIs vary, so definitely ask for help instead of trying anecdotal fixes.

throwawayc2020 4 years ago |

Vertical mouse + split keyboard.

Which forearm? The one you mouse with? If so, spend $20 today and get a vertical mouse. It was a game changer for me.

Plexpert 4 years ago |

Nice everything.