Home Treatment for Repetitive Stress Injury

Question: Ergonomic mice, keyboards, and other products are made from the same basic materials as their standard, non-ergonomic counterparts. So why are they so expensive?
Answer: They aren’t mass produced in the same way as regular keyboards, mice, and so on, so the costs to make them are higher. When items are in high demand, they [...]

Computer users aren’t the only ones who get Repetitive stress injuries. Many people who do crafts and tasks with their hands, such as knitters, crocheters, or other creative people, tend to get repetitive injuries too.
But you don’t have to give up your after-computer hobbies just because they’re also hand-intensive. You just need to give your [...]

Some time ago, I wrote about the benefits of using Chinese medicine balls as therapy, particularly for hand pain such as carpal tunnel or deQuervain’s syndrome/tenosynovitis of the thumb.  The practice of twisting the balls around one another, using the fingers, helps to build dexterity and restore range of motion.  Also, the weight of the [...]

I spent Saturday at the Maker Faire in San Mateo, and found some cool related tutorials for modifying your own computer input devices like mice and scroll wheels. Some of them don’t require much electronics savvy, while others are serious mods that need a few tools and some background. Either way, they’re fun [...]

If you have a hand injury and seek treatment, you may end up in a physical or occupational health center being treated by a hand therapist. While you sit there receiving treatments, you might wonder what training they’ve received before working on you.
Hand therapists have to demonstrate the following experience to receive certification:

A demonstrated [...]

What exercises can be done with Chinese Medicine Balls?
This is a question posed by Bethany in the comments, and I thought the answer deserved its own post.
Chinese Medicine Balls, or other similar-sized balls, can be used to help increase flexibility or range of motion in the hands.  The general idea is to hold both balls [...]

A cloth tote bag with a shoulder strap is a good alternative to those plastic grocery bags, because it can help relieve the tension and stress on your arms.  Using a tote with a shoulder will shift the weight of your purchases from the small muscles of your hands, to the larger muscles of your shoulders. [...]

If your thumb is sore and swollen, there are several things you can do to loosen up and relieve the ache.
Hopefully, even if your thumb is sore, your tongue is still agile, because you might have to get it around the word Tenosynovitis. Tenosynovitis, often called Trigger finger or DeQuervain’s syndrome, is actually a swelling around the [...]

Most doctors and therapists will recommend that after working your body too hard or after an acute injury, that you ice the affected area.  Use a cold pack or ice cubes wrapped in a towel, and  apply it for twenty minutes, they say.  It’s meant to flush the inflammation and resulting stiffness away.
If you [...]

The rainy days of winter are come again, and I’m huddling inside with hot chocolate and a purring cat on my lap.  It’s pretty cozy, but it’s also been chilly of late! In the winter time, it’s hard to stay warm without pumping up the heater and paying hefty gas bills… meanwhile, when it’s [...]