Comment Re:beware of wrist splints!!! (Score 1) 404
The other thing to be aware of when wearing a splint or brace on your wrist is what is called "fighting the brace". The term descibes actions that cause you to try to perform a motion made difficult by the design of the brace. Typing almost *always* falls into that category. The brace is designed to keep your wrist from moving in ways that will aggravate your injury, so don't disregard that design! If you need to do something that would fight the brace during an attack of carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis or whatnot, *take the brace off*, do whatever it is as carefully and gently as possible, and put the brace back on. Of course, it would be preferable to avoid these actions totally or do them with the other hand (if you're asymetrically affected), but if you can't do either of these things *don't* preform actions like this with the brace on, as they are worse than with the brace off.
As trance9 mentioned above, your muscles *will* atrophy (I have experienced this with my ankles, and it's a true horror trying to get the musculature back), so you should try to use the *least* supportive brace you can get away with, and for the shortest amount of time you can manage. Try wearing one of those elastic or neoprene bands that wrap around your wrist with velcro instead of one of the metal-formed splints. If you *do* need a metal splint, make sure it has been contoured carefully to *your* wrist and hand while they are in a resting position. This can be done by trial-and-error, hopefully with an unwounded friend doing the bending for you. :) You'll know when it's been fitted correctly, as it will feel like the brace is "helping" your hand rest.
This does not mean that you shouldn't give yourself a plenty of time to heal, but do take off the brace as soon as it's feasible to do so and then take it easy for a while.
And to get closer to the main topic here, I've found that a nice alternative to a mouse that is more natural to use (at least to me) and hurts my wrist less is a stylus and tablet. Admittedly, I'm not up on how to run one with Linux, but that's my next project... :) I've found that the stylus keeps my wrist in a better position rotation-wise than a mouse, more like the position the wave keyboards use that's supposed to be better for your wrists.
As trance9 mentioned above, your muscles *will* atrophy (I have experienced this with my ankles, and it's a true horror trying to get the musculature back), so you should try to use the *least* supportive brace you can get away with, and for the shortest amount of time you can manage. Try wearing one of those elastic or neoprene bands that wrap around your wrist with velcro instead of one of the metal-formed splints. If you *do* need a metal splint, make sure it has been contoured carefully to *your* wrist and hand while they are in a resting position. This can be done by trial-and-error, hopefully with an unwounded friend doing the bending for you.
This does not mean that you shouldn't give yourself a plenty of time to heal, but do take off the brace as soon as it's feasible to do so and then take it easy for a while.
And to get closer to the main topic here, I've found that a nice alternative to a mouse that is more natural to use (at least to me) and hurts my wrist less is a stylus and tablet. Admittedly, I'm not up on how to run one with Linux, but that's my next project...
