My neurologist sent me for physical therapy. While my carpel tunnel problem seemed to be improving, I found myself afflicted with arm and shoulder pain that was unrelenting. Sleeping was a problem because no matter how much I tossed and turned I could NOT find a position that was pain-free.
After Jeff, my physical therapist, evaluated me he said, “You have Double Crush.” “What’s that?” I asked. “You have TWO pinched nerves: one in your wrist (the carpal tunnel) and another in your neck that’s being pressed on by a bulging disc.” I found out the most common cause of “Double Crush” is using a computer. As we look at the screen for long periods of time, we lean forward and that posture causes stress in our necks resulting in bulging discs that press on nerves that produce shoulder, arm, and wrist pain. After just one PT appointment, I’m feeling better. My discomfort is reduced. I’m scheduled to return in a few days to do more exercises. Meanwhile, I’m maintaining good posture and making sure I’m not leaning forward with my neck. As for the picture above, that’s my son, Patrick, who needs a haircut badly.
You only have that amount of hair for a short time so let him flaunt it! Hope things improve. It’s my eyes that computers are destroying.
I may have to turn to speech-recognition software like DRAGON, Patti. My computer work is extracting a heavy toll on my body. I really like Patrick’s eyes in that picture.
Looks like that guy from NYU who won the Oscar.
Bummer on the “Double Crush” – when I saw the title I was afraid it was a new CD by Justin Bieber!
This blog is a Justin Bieber “no fly zone,” Jeff. I shared this “Double Crush” information because I can imagine thousands of people who think they only have carpel tunnel problems but really have another problem to deal with.
What you need is the guy to come to your house and give you a treatment just before bedtime. I bet that would really help.
My brother owned seven Physical Therapy clinics, Jeff. Each one had a sign on the wall: NO PAIN, NO GAIN. After a good PT session, your body feels like Charlie the Torpedo worked you over. Yet, the next day, your symptoms improve.
I find two things really help me avoid this problem: keep the (as large as possible) screen closer than often considered normal, and zooming the view a little. I used to lead forward, then crane my head back to see through the bottom of my bifocals. I got neck pain in half an hour. I had the reading/close vision part of the glasses raised and now it’s fine.
Thanks, Rick! I’ll give it a try. I’m working on keeping my posture correct and not leaning forward as I look at my flat-screen monitor.
If that’s Patrick, where’s Waldo?
Patrick actually dressed up as “Where’s Waldo” for Halloween one year, Bob.
George, sorry to hear about your health troubles. Glad the therapy is helping.
Too much time on the computer is the culprit, Drongo. I’m teaching three online courses that require plenty of keyboarding. And, of course, this blog.
There’s an add-on to firefox called NoSquint which allows you to customize the zoom level of web pages and text to avoid the lean-forward syndrome. It’s similar to the lower-right-corner zoom feature on recent versions of Explorer, but superior and more versatile. I’ve also just ordered a new pair of reading glasses with full-height lenses for computer use instead of the half-height peer-over readers I have now.
Thanks for the information, Art! I’ll explore that FIREFOX add-on. Good luck with those glasses. Anything that preserves proper posture and keeps those discs in your back and neck from getting stressed is a Good Thing.
You have my sympathies, as someone halfway there (recurring back pain that dissipates as soon as I start walking around…but it’s too easy to forget to walk around, when one gets wrapped up in the ceaseless tides of work in the course of the 12-hour shift).
And you have my sympathies by being halfway to constant pain, Todd. Neurological pain, in my experience, is constant and unrelenting. No quick fixes. I’m on my way to another PT appointment right now. You might want to launch a preemptive strike on those pains by taking Motrin or Aleve daily to keep the inflammation at bay.