what should i do ?

[astroglide]

i had a nerve conduction test last wednesday. i get wrist/etc pain and it just depends on how much i've been computing (which is normally 8-12 hours per day between work and fun).

turns out i'm like above-average on all accounts. ultrasound was negative too. since i've been this active for this long (not to mention video games, guitar, and other things that jam on my hands) it would seem that i'm invulnerable to actual CTS. doesn't mean my hands can't hurt, though. i'd like to try one of those wrist braces out.

i have observed that it helps a lot to balance usage between devices. different keyboards, desks, input devices, etc change things a lot. if you're locked into some static situation with input i imagine it could hurt a lot.

[rusellmj]

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i have 126,000 hands and make -0.73 BB/100 hands.

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Ouch.

Have you read Ed Millers book? It would def help.

Also, have you considered getting help from your employer? Like getting some ergo type stuff for your workspace.

[gorie]

[ QUOTE ]
i had a nerve conduction test last wednesday. i get wrist/etc pain and it just depends on how much i've been computing (which is normally 8-12 hours per day between work and fun).

[/ QUOTE ]
do you get the tingling too ? or just pain ?
what do they do for the test ? my dr was like "and you don't want that" (in reference to having to get the test done if it continues) making it sound like it would be painful or something.

[astroglide]

frankly, i think your doctor [censored] sucks if he's not willing to send you out for objective testing

i've had both tingling/numbness and pain. mostly pain. the numbness has only happened rarely in the last couple years, and it only happened when i had my hands at a crappy angle due to a different desk when i would play tons of online poker.

it takes about 45 minutes. they put little metal loops around a finger, then shock you on various places (wrist, forearm, elbow) to measure how long it takes for the electricity to travel between the points. this is compared with a baseline (presumably for your age/gender/whatever). it's just a mild shock. the only ones i found to be unpleasant were the ones that travelled the longest distances, and there were very few of them.

ultrasounds can apparently see physical manifestations of CTS as well.

[gorie]

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frankly, i think your doctor [censored] sucks if he's not willing to send you out for objective testing

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he was just hoping it would go away in 2 weeks, and considered that test the next step. i don't know. from what i read online about carpal tunnel syndrome that is standard procedure.

thanks for explaining it though, it doesn't sound too terrible..

[Stuey]

Going to sound like I'm telling you what to do but I'm not saying I am right but this is what I think you need to do.

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i have 126,000 hands and make -0.73 BB/100 hands.

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Don't play poker anymore just play for fun maybe once a month for 2-3 hours. If you didn't stop and take the time to study and change your playing style before 125K worth of hands I doubt you will suddenly decide to put the effort in to change anytime soon. Sorry but you should not feel bad about it poker is not very fun in the long run if you ask me.

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in my dream world, my boyfriend goes back and finishes school (he did the same thing as me) and gets a better job to help secure us financially for the future.

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WTF! From reading your posts you were the last person I expected to hear this from. Stop thinking stuff like that. You can take care of yourself and him as well if you want. You are very smart you just need to stand up for yourself more often.

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anyway, right now i am just hoping the hand thing goes away, the thing that sucks is even if it gets better in a couple weeks, i'm still doing the exact same thing that caused the problem in the first place and i can't imagine that being a good thing.

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Things don't just go away you have to make things change. I know little about carpal tunnel but I would say your wrists are weak and you should try to strengthen them. You are doing a repetitive motion so you have an unbalanced hand currently. Strengthen the parts that you are not using. I don't know what movements you do so it is hard to guess which muscles need work. See a professional therapist my advice is probably bad but I would use these I can't see how it could hurt.

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until i eventually get into painting more and figure out how to make a living at it

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This sounds like the best idea. Do it now go to school and learn to paint. Get a loan be a poor struggling art student. Learn how to make what sounds like the one thing you truly might put enough effort into to become good at a reality. And even if you end up not becoming a good painter you will probably be happy anyways and that is all that matters imo.

God I sound like a jerk, I am one but I hate when it becomes so obvious. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] I’m sure you will be fine without my silly ideas. Hope you feel better soon.

[astroglide]

the poker elements of this should be discussed somewhere else. gorie, if you'd like to chat about it feel free to make a separate post in an appropriate forum and link to it from here.

[The Yugoslavian]

Breast implants....

....then your back will be hurting and you won't notice the carpal tunnel.

Yugoslav

[The Yugoslavian]

Okay, for real though, besides getting ridiculously huge breasts to shift the pain...I'd say just become ambidexterous in addition to what you're doing. Sounds like you can do quite a few things with your left hand already but perhaps you can become better and then once your right hand or whatever is better do 1 hr on/1 hr off. I know ppl who have learned to play video games with their feet due to arm problems. So learning to use your left hand well for work should be possible (frustrating though I'm sure). The other thing that will help is to relearn how to use the machines and computers. My ex g/f played a ton of piano (and was so good too...*sigh*) but then had problem with her wrists and literally relearned how to play. It took her a few months but now she can play pain free (altho is still careful not to overdo it).

Yugoslav

[siccjay]

Even with that winrate you could probably make at least $12 an hour playing.