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Happy RSI anniversary!
Jun. 10th, 2008 07:46 pmIt's now just over a year since I had my first RSI symptoms. I knew from the beginning that it was something to be taken seriously, but I had no idea it would end up affecting me as much as it has done.
I am starting to see some signs of improvement, both in terms of the RSI and my voice problem, but it is too early to say whether these improvements are big enough that I'll be able to go back to work soon. Based on how things are going, it seems plausible that my voice will be up to it in a month or two (although will by no means be completely back to normal), but the RSI will take a lot longer to improve.
I still think my best hope for returning to work lies in alternative input methods, such as using the Dasher program with an alternative pointing device. I have tried a head mouse (SmartNav 4), which works, but there are concerns over whether it is wise to use it for long periods of time - after all, the head is a very heavy thing, so moving it around more than usual (and in different patterns to those in which it is normally moved) may put undue strain on the muscles in the neck. Given that my RSI and voice strain are both thought to be partly caused by tension in the neck, this may not be a good idea.
Something else I am looking into are eye trackers, i.e. hardware which tracks where you are looking, and uses this information to move the mouse pointer. I need to find out whether this also might have health implications, such as causing eye strain. Also, the hardware is very expensive, although there is a scheme called Access to Work which can pay towards the cost of such hardware.
PS. New swimming record: 52 lengths in 53 minutes.
I am starting to see some signs of improvement, both in terms of the RSI and my voice problem, but it is too early to say whether these improvements are big enough that I'll be able to go back to work soon. Based on how things are going, it seems plausible that my voice will be up to it in a month or two (although will by no means be completely back to normal), but the RSI will take a lot longer to improve.
I still think my best hope for returning to work lies in alternative input methods, such as using the Dasher program with an alternative pointing device. I have tried a head mouse (SmartNav 4), which works, but there are concerns over whether it is wise to use it for long periods of time - after all, the head is a very heavy thing, so moving it around more than usual (and in different patterns to those in which it is normally moved) may put undue strain on the muscles in the neck. Given that my RSI and voice strain are both thought to be partly caused by tension in the neck, this may not be a good idea.
Something else I am looking into are eye trackers, i.e. hardware which tracks where you are looking, and uses this information to move the mouse pointer. I need to find out whether this also might have health implications, such as causing eye strain. Also, the hardware is very expensive, although there is a scheme called Access to Work which can pay towards the cost of such hardware.
PS. New swimming record: 52 lengths in 53 minutes.
