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Avoiding RSI

I’m pretty sure I’ve never had RSI, but occasionally my wrists feel a little sore after spending time at the keyboard and I know enough about it to know that I really don’t want it. This weekend I started using WorkRave after spotting a link to it on Meri’s blog. It’s a neat little application for Linux and Windows that sits in the background and reminds you to take short breaks from the keyboard every once in a while. Following the suggestion from the FAQ I have it set up to encourage a 15 second “micropause” every 10 minutes and a 5 minute proper rest break once an hour. It’s too early to stay if I’ll stick with it or get annoyed and turn it off, but I have to admit that I have been feeling a bit more comfortable at the keyboard. Whether that’s purely a psychological effect from using it or the breaks are actually making a difference is hard to tell.

Posted 27th October 2003 at 5:13 am

This is Avoiding RSI by Simon Willison, posted on 27th October 2003.

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16 comments

  1. Thanks for pointing this out! I'd previously been using Break Reminder which is free for personal and non-profit use. I just installed it and like it better since I can use it in Linux too! Plus it's Open Source and Free Software.

    Cheah Chu Yeow - 27th October 2003 06:06 - #

  2. Simon,

    I've been using Workrave for a few months now. I can feel the benefit (I think) but it's also very easy to get frustrated by the interruptions when you're in mid-code-flow.

    Hope that it helps your RSI, though.

    Tim - 27th October 2003 08:52 - #

  3. I've been starting using one of these myself: RSI Guard, which seem to be quite good at guessing my hand-trauma while I type. It's not free though, and I wonder if going with a free alternative will work as fine with me. Just like you, I don't have RSI (yet), but have been feeling more and more soreness in my hand during the last few weeks, so, better safe than sorry.

    Xavier Borderie - 27th October 2003 10:23 - #

  4. I've been using WorkRave at work for the past few months now and I concur with Tim - there's a definite benefit, but being interrupted mid-code can be immensely frustrating.

    Phil Wilson - 27th October 2003 10:34 - #

  5. I concur on the irritating part ... but I'm trying to adapt the way I work to stop myself becoming irritated and use the time to think about what I'm doing with the code or whatever ... even if I have to do that staring off into space to rest my eyes from the screen ;-)

    Meri - 27th October 2003 13:59 - #

  6. I have Tendonitis in my right forearm. I believe it's not as serious as RSI but it can be really painful. It seems to act up when I work a work-heavy week followed by work-heavy weekend, but then it takes quite a while for it to go away.

    For me, it feels kind of like a muscle cramp, but only happens when I'm holding a mouse. As soon as I move from that position it loosens up a bit.

    Whatever you do.. if you feel pain, just stop coding for a while. It sure sucks when you're rolling on something but it's worth it. Like right now I need to quit editing this comment :)

    Ryan - 27th October 2003 14:26 - #

  7. The real solution is IO devices more egonomic or flexible than keyboards and mice. But that won't happen unless something amazingly and immediately better comes along. And I don't think voice recognition is that. Your vocal chords are also subject to stress. And at least you can type one-handed. ;)

    I don't think I could stand the interruptions. I have a hard time getting into flow sometimes, and I get phone calls and such enough that when I -do- get actual uninterrupted code time, I protect it.

    As far as practical advice, here's a bit. Natural keyboards really helped me. And mousing is far more damaging than keying, for me. I learn all the keyboard shortcuts I can, so as to avoid unneeded mousing.

    I've had bouts of soreness before, but I've found that if I break when the ache starts up, it helps, and if I ever get enduring aches, I take the weekend off from the computer.

    I'm surprised by the number of respondents also using RSI interruptors. I am heartened to hear that that many people are paying attention to it.

    Jeremy Dunck - 27th October 2003 21:52 - #

  8. I don't know much about RSI... would a tablet pen be any form of solution to the problem?

    Tony - 28th October 2003 01:17 - #

  9. Tony, I'm pretty sure that any fine motion done tens of thousands times per day for days, weeks, and years on end would result in some such injury. We're just not made to do the same motion -that- much.

    It could be that my muscles are out of shape for the task, but I actually find hand writing things very fatiguing.

    Jeremy Dunck - 28th October 2003 04:11 - #

  10. You might also want to look into the Dvorak keyboard layout.

    Matt - 28th October 2003 05:53 - #

  11. I had pretty bad "clicking bones" in the backs of my hands for a while, I think due to the angle more than excessive use). I moved to a natural keyboard and a trackball. Huge difference! The trackball especially ...

    Cam - 28th October 2003 08:37 - #

  12. A good thing to do is to stretch regularly. One exercise is to lock your elbow, having your arm straight, palm on the desk, bend your arm forward. Same exercise with the back of the palm (don't know the english word), and bend the arm towards you. The explanations may not be very clear. A massage therapist recommended me to do that.

    Arnaud - 28th October 2003 14:35 - #

  13. Arnaud, thanks for the exercise tips! I think you either mean "heel of the hand" (i.e. the bit of your hand where palm meets wrist) or "back of hand" (i.e. opposite side of hand to your palm) -- which do you mean? I had a bad motorbike accident about a year ago and when I told the physio I worked on a computer almost all day she gave me a lot of neck-stretching exercises to carry on doing even after I had healed from the crash. Some of them are suggested in the Workrave exercises screens, so I won't go into detail here. I doubt very much I would explain as well as Arnaud and I know all the English words! ;-)

    Meri - 28th October 2003 18:08 - #

  14. Being an RSI sufferer myself (though it's been better these last months) here is what my main advice on the topic boils down to:

    1. LISTEN to yourself (when tired, uncomfortable, sore, etc... stop)
    2. use a rest-timer to ENFORCE breaks (otherwise chances are you'll skip them) -- I like RSIGuard
    3. get DICTATION software like Dragon NaturallySpeaking or ViaVoice. Works great, takes a load of your arms and hands.

    Related: bits of my story with RSI and Dragon.

    Stephanie - 28th October 2003 22:53 - #

  15. The interuptions are not worth it. Just pick your hands up and move around whenever you stop to think. An ergonomic keyboard is good, but not perfect. I get better results from varying my position and switching keyboards occassionally.

    Real Estate Web Design - 30th October 2003 07:05 - #

  16. Workrave is very nice but it is consuming 11+ MB of memory. I prefer Break Reminder which is taking up only 4+ MB of memory and is having similar functionalities.

    Michael Lee - 6th May 2004 02:50 - #

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