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The greatest enemy of the programmer: hemorrhoids
- malkia 17y agoFinally something to the point.
- jokull 17y agoAwesome excuse to get a good chair EDIT: One of these http://www.sedus.de/se/en/products/officeseating/index.php http://www.sedus.de/se/en/products/officeseating/index.php
- maxklein 17y agoI bought an aeron recently and I have to justify the cost!
- trafficlight 17y agoI'm sitting in an Aeron right now and I'm just not that impressed. I'm just glad I didn't pay for it.
- maxklein 17y agoI think it depends what you were sitting on before. If you go from wooden chair to aeron, you feel the difference.
- losvedir 17y agoDitto. (Well, at work, not right now). I was lucky enough to snag one from a different room in my office. I was excited because of the magical stories I've heard about Aerons. There's lots of little knobs and levers to fiddle with, but even after extensive personalization, it's not all THAT comfortable.
- ahoyhere 17y agoIt might not fit you. It's not really made for women's hips for example, so I've never sat in an Aeron I liked. It digs in. Most very good chairs come in different widths/depths for people of different heights/weights.
- bjelkeman-again 17y agoIf you suffer from it I can strongly recommend: "Rubber band ligation, sometimes called Baron ligation. Elastic bands are applied onto an internal hemorrhoid to cut off its blood supply. Within several days, the withered hemorrhoid, is sloughed off during normal bowel movement." Only somewhat uncomfortable for a day or three. No side effects. Fixed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemorrhoid#Surgical_and_non-medicinal_treatments http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemorrhoid#Surgical_and_non-med...
- mrtron 17y agoTwo very different lessons here. First the value of NOT having url shorteners. Wikipedia is much different than youtube in this situation. Second...the value of a long term partner. Preferably with a steady hand.
- bjelkeman-again 17y agoThis treatment is generally applied by a medical doctor with special equipment.
- mrshoe 17y agoI'll be forwarding this to my boss along with my request for permission to work from a hammock on the beach.
- josefresco 17y agoDirect sunlight is a bitch. I had that fantasy as well when I started my own biz, but even working on my deck with an umbrella overhead and shady trees above is difficult. Solve the battery and direct sunlight issues for laptops and my techno-world would be complete.
- nanexcool 17y agoI had surgery because of this last year. You can read some of what happened on my mostly abandoned blog. There's 10 or more posts about that. Read on, then try to do something about it if you've got them. http://fateff.com/blog/2009/04/20/im-in-the-hospital/ http://fateff.com/blog/2009/04/20/im-in-the-hospital/
- maxklein 17y agoAfter reading this: http://fateff.com/blog/2009/04/22/bad-afternoon/ http://fateff.com/blog/2009/04/22/bad-afternoon/ I think I'll be ordering a banana tree or something.
- stan_rogers 17y agoBeen there, done that -- and by the time I had stopped playing with the do-nothing over-the-counter nonsense, there was some serious cutting going on. The recuperation period was long, and reminded me in no uncertain terms (and here I have to beg pardon) that the assholes really are in charge in this world. It seemed like everything I did, from brushing my teeth to blinking, involved a little-known ligament or tendon that led, inevitably, to the tender area. (HTML was without a version number at the time, I was creating online reference books for Lynx, and I had just heard of a new "graphical browser" called Mosaic ready for release, so there was no live blogging on the school system's grand-a-month web server.)
- jxcole 17y agoDoes anyone know if getting hemorrhoids would classify as a work-related injury? Furthermore, since my job is required to provide me with a safe working environment, shouldn't they also be required to provide me with a fancy chair?
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- TheSOB88 17y agoI bet they'd let you buy your own $500 chair to reduce the chances of injury/hemorrhoids if you explained it well enough. Though if the corporate culture's really oppressive, they might make you take it home after people start complaining. On the other hand, they might buy them for everyone and you could be the hero.
- joe_the_user 17y agoThere's a lot of talk of fancy chairs, fancy keyboards or fancy mice a way around these kinds of problems. But really, they don't not get at the root problem. Getting exercise and a good diet is much closer to dealing with this root problem. But even more to the point, one needs to reduce the unconscious, habitual tension which is what misaligns and thus tears people up when they sit "doing nothing" for years. I would recommend the Alexander Technique a key method for dealing with the problem of habitual muscle tension and the many problems that it will cause you over the years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_technique http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_technique But there are number of similar methods: the Feldenkrais Method, Tai Chi Chua, Qigong and Yoga all work to give you new body habits, not just "work" your body. Indeed, the gym-style "push yourself" exercise approach can risk injury to the person due to their taking their poor align into a more stressful environment (though I don't doubt that hard exercise works for some)
- deleted 17y ago[deleted]
- kpanghmc 17y agoAn enemy? Sure. The greatest enemy? I don't know about that. I'd say carpal tunnel and other hand/wrist related injuries would be the greatest enemy. After all, you can always program standing up or sitting on one of those donut devices if you have hemorrhoids.
- pavel_lishin 17y agoI think that as far as quality of life goes, I'd rather have my hands hurt than my ass hurt.
- abstractbill 17y agoYeah, but I don't make money with my ass, I make it with my hands.
- bjelkeman-again 17y agoYeah, but with a bad back or hemorrhoid problem, it is really hard to be productive with your hands.
- pyre 17y agoIt's really hard to be productive with a good back and good ass, but bad hands too. If you were told tomorrow that you could never use a keyboard again, would you be thanking the gods that it wasn't a back or ass problem because now you quality of life won't even skip a beat?
- lutorm 17y agoYou say that until you realize that you use your hands for doing a whole lot more important stuff than you do your ass.
- zavulon 17y agoWhen you drive into Brooklyn from pretty much any major entrance point, you are greeted with this billboard: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/fort-greene/posts/peach3-480.jpg http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/fort-greene/posts/... I especially like how they spelled "proctology"
- pkghost 17y agolet us not overlook those who stand while at the keyboard. you don't have to do it all the time, either -- get an adjustable keyboard thingermajig and push your chair out of the way for a few hours a day.
- pbz 17y agoAdjustable keyboard or desk? Any tips as far some affordable adjustable desks? Thanks.
- maxklein 17y agoUse a podium. Very cheap.
- pbz 17y agoI have dual monitors; a regular podium may not have enough room for two monitors, keyboard, and mouse...
- lsc 17y agoeh, buy some adjustable VESA mounts and nail your monitors to the wall. use the podium for the keyboard.
- mahmud 17y agoHave you ever programmed with a new monitor, or even at someone else's machine? It's hard. I would waste a lot of time adjusting everything to the exact settings and configuration as my laptop, down to the dead pixel and finger-print smudges.
- lsc 17y agoyup. though, for me, my desktop (well, wallside) is the perfect setup; using a laptop is a real pain.
- 3dFlatLander 17y agoWorking a job years ago, I worked at a standing desk which was surprisingly awesome. It allowed me to keep my legs active, and pace around whenever I needed to mull something over. I may invest in one for home use.
- dood 17y agoThe greatest ally of the programmer: getting off your ass. After a little back pain, I made a few changes which make me feel a whole lot better generally, and make it much easier to get and stay in 'the zone': - take breaks regularly - stand up when not operating the computer - stretch whenever you remember - walk about - exercise daily (as much or as little as you feel like) These simple measures quickly become more of a joy than a chore, and will protect from back pain, RSI, hemorrhoids, fatigue, and probably a bunch of other nasty things that creep up on you.
- Groxx 17y agoThe second greatest: the bran muffin. Too many people seem ignorant of the strain => hemorrhoid connection.
- johnyzee 17y agoHow does that work? Supposedly a bran muffin is high in fiber which would help digestion and prevent constipation.
- sh1mmer 17y agoGet a split desk and spend part of your work time not on your tush.
- lutorm 17y agoI do all of that and have still been afflicted with most of those problems.
- Todd 17y agoA chair really can make all the difference. I was having severe back problems until I bought a Steelcase Think. My problems went away overnight. Every chair won't work for every person. I suggest that you buy a good chair, try it for a week, then return it if you don't get great results. Repeat until you're successful. Good luck.
- froo 17y ago
- awolf 17y agoGetting daily exercise is really one of the most important things I have done to become a better coder. Aside from keeping my digestion burning at full power, exercise encourages me to eat a healthier diet. If I eat crappy/greasy food I feel the results pretty quickly when I try to do something active later that day. More important is the extra energy it gives me. Since when I started my daily exercise regimen I've been able to get in about 3 hours more coding per day while feeling less worn out.
- kingkongreveng_ 17y agoThe solution to all of eye strain, hand strain, and ass strain is simply to take five minutes to leisurely walk around the block once every hour and half. You don't need an expensive chair or to work standing up or anything silly like that. You don't even need a daily exercise regimen. I find the claims that people sitting all day is a new problem somewhat dubious. People have worked sitting down all day for centuries. I'm pretty sure what's new is fat people who never walk anywhere.
- torial 17y agoTo that end, a great free tool that I've been using is called Workrave: http://www.workrave.org/welcome/ http://www.workrave.org/welcome/ Otherwise, I don't get off my butt much -- but this reminds me. And it is highly configurable.
- kungfooey 17y agoI second the recommendation of Workrave. It's easily configurable and it works quite well to remind one to get p every now and then (or at least to look away from the monitor for a few seconds).
- silentbicycle 17y agoxwrits (http://www.lcdf.org/xwrits/ http://www.lcdf.org/xwrits/) is good, too.
- bjelkeman-again 17y agoJust because people have been sitting/squatting whilst working in previous centuries doesn't mean they didn't have problems. Have you seen the state of some poor people who spend their lives sitting badly whilst working? I certainly get problems by sitting too long whilst working and I am by no measure fat. :) But, yes, get up and move about.
- Tichy 17y agoThanks for the new expression, "ass strain". I'll remember it next time I have to explain the pros and cons of a programming career.
- carbocation 17y agoTo my knowledge, the connection between extended periods sitting and/or straining is anecdotal. Not saying it's not true - it probably is - but it isn't proven. On the other hand, there are proven, more ominous, but fortunately less-common causes of hemorrhoids, such as tumors and cirrhosis.
- deleted 17y ago[deleted]
- unignorant 17y agoYet another (albeit unforeseen) reason I prefer to work standing. A "standing desk" is easier to improvise than one might think.
- chipsy 17y agoA few inches of difference on a chair's height, for me, makes the difference between long-term comfort and heavy lower back pain. I ordered an artist's drafting stool recently because they go higher than other chairs.
- imp 17y agoI just improvised a standing desk this past weekend with boxes and books, and I'm enjoying it so far. Better posture already at least.
- wyclif 17y agoWhere does one obtain a standing desk these days?
- froo 17y ago>Where does one obtain a standing desk these days? Lifehacker had a recent article on this, let me dig it up for you. http://lifehacker.com/5503957/the-file-cabinet-standing-desk http://lifehacker.com/5503957/the-file-cabinet-standing-desk
- pmiller2 17y agoI would think you could modify a drafting table into a serviceable standing desk without much effort.
- wesley 17y agoStanding Desk + Sitting Ball + Time Out for Mac (5 minutes per hour) + daily exercises + mini stepper at desk and I don't have these issues.
- msisk6 17y agoRight now I'm sitting in an Aeron chair I bought myself 11 years ago. It's been through 3 startups, 4 moves, 2 wives and a half-dozen laptops. I don't want to even think about how many hours my keister has been in this chair. Amortized for use over time I don't think I ever spent money so wisely. Get a good chair now -- even if you have to spend your own money on it. You won't regret it.
- abstractbill 17y agoIn the office I work at a desk and on a chair. But at home (where I work on side-projects several hours most days) I never work sitting on a chair - it's always either curled up with a laptop on the couch, or sitting on the floor. Usually I alternate between the two. I much prefer not sitting on a chair if I can avoid it.
- pyre 17y ago> it's always either curled up with a laptop on the couch, or sitting on the floor Aren't you still sitting though? Or did I miss something in the article? [ If you aren't sitting while 'curled up with a laptop on the couch,' I can't imagine that that position is good for your wrists/tendons/etc. Just food for thought. You don't want to avoid hemorrhoids just to end up with carpal tunnel or tendinitis. ]
- jrockway 17y agoI have an Aeron chair at work. It's okay. If I were going to film a movie where the plot was being tied to chair, I would use the Aeron. Even without binding, you feel trapped. When you stand up and manage to escape, you feel an amazing amount of freedom. I have a "crappy IKEA chair" at home. It is much better. You sit in it, and it feels good. You don't think about the act of sitting anymore. Did I mention that Aeron chairs are ugly?
- robin_reala 17y agoHave you spent any time setting it up? Considering the amount of time you sit in it 30 mins reading the manual is time well spent, and it really does make a difference.
- sabat 17y agoBlogga, please. Just get up once an hour, walk around, maybe check out that big room with the blue ceiling that's sometimes black with white specks (the one the Others call "outside").
- Splines 17y agoI used to keep my wallet in my back pocket, but recently transferred to keeping in my jacket pocket. Not as convenient, and now possible to misplace, but my butt feels better not having half of it sitting on a rock all day.
- _Lemon_ 17y agoIt's also remarkably easy for your wallet to get stolen out of your back pocket. I learnt this lesson the hard way. Thankfully all they were interested in was the five pound note and some kind soul handed it in.
- anthonyb 17y agoWorried about hemmorrhoids? You pansies - try a Pilondial Sinus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilonidal_cyst http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilonidal_cyst instead! Caution: you may want to visit that page with Lynx, rather than a browser which can display images ;)
- JacobAldridge 17y agoYup, I had a couple of friends go through this. Saw the post-op photos one of the guys took - at least from the external viewpoint, they literally 'tore him a new one'. At least they didn't have movements through the wound though, I suppose.
- nearestneighbor 17y agohttp://www.dqd.com/~mayoff/images/alfa.jpg http://www.dqd.com/~mayoff/images/alfa.jpg
- liamk 17y agoGreat setup! What did you use as your laptop stand?
- nearestneighbor 17y agoThat's not me.
- stcredzero 17y agoReminds me of "Dr. Duncan's Video Symptom Show" from the Max Headroom program.
- huhtenberg 17y ago(me) - The greatest enemy of the programmer is... (my wife) - Users ?! I guess she was listening to me all these years... Who would've thought :)
- grannyg00se 17y agoI think that is a better answer. Hemorrhoids are hardly a programmer specific ailment. The article applies to any individual who sits for long periods of time and has a poor diet. I'd say this applies to most people since we're mostly office workers and our diets are mostly horrible.
- josefresco 17y agoAt least she didn't say "his wife?!"
- pmiller2 17y agoJust an odd little style nit I picked up reading this: it was interesting how the author used the clinical term "anus" but didn't hesitate to use the word "shitting" to describe defecation. I'm not offended by the vulgar word, but I'd advise the author to choose one or the other and stick with it.
- jseifer 17y agoI sit on a swiss (or exercise) ball most of the day. I'm not sure how the ball intersects with hemorrhoids but it's great for staying active while sitting down and also for posture. When not on the swiss ball I use one of these: http://www.thehumansolution.com/ergohumanmeshhi.html http://www.thehumansolution.com/ergohumanmeshhi.html. It's less expensive than an Aeron and it has a head rest. I've had it for a couple of years now. It's been a great chair. I'm not sure why the head rest thing was so important to me but it's very comfortable for coding.
- gregwebs 17y agoSitting in a chair should be considered harmful. This is a very recent practice that we have not evolved to handle well. I know few adults that can still sit comfortably in a squatted position. Almost everyone has sore hip flexors and poor hip mobility. Try pressing in on yourself in areas around your hips- it is not supposed to hurt. Alternatives: Standing. Standing still in one place for a long time can have its own problems. But when standing it is much easier to have some amount of movement- the minimum is just shifting your weight from one leg to the other. The treadmill desks are an interesting concept to keep you moving. Lying down. These positions are usually difficult to work in. Sitting (not on a chair). Sitting on your bed or on the floor. There are a few possible positions here. Squatting. This has to be done with assistance (raised heel and butt) until you gain the strength and flexibility required to do this. Sitting and squatting tend to put you in a hunched over position though. Ultimately the best thing is going to be to move around between different positions as much as possible, along with taking as many breaks as you can and making them as physical as you can. I am trying to combine these concepts with some amount of working outside also. I would love to hear from anyone else working at this.
- petercooper 17y agoThe asian squat toilet seems to be pretty good for hemorrhoid according to wikipedia, so you may want to try that. That's a curiously casual suggestion for something difficult to try. Being in low gravity would help, so you may want to try that too.
- maxklein 17y agoYou can buy an accessory that will turn your western toilet into a squat toilet. Or you can squat on the rim of the toilet, it's not so uncommon to do - ask girls. They often do that in their toilets.
- ahoyhere 17y agoIt's really easy to try, Peter: 1. Go to the woods. 2. Drop trou. 3. Shit. Ta-da. Not like you have to go to China to try it out.
- petercooper 17y agoYou've given me the perfect euphemism! If ever I have to take a shit in the woods, I'm going to say I'm off to "try the Asian squat toilet."
- subbu 17y agoEasily said than done in my experience. I used Indian toilets (Asian style, as referred in the article) until 3 years ago. I have been using western toilets for the last three years and I can't go back to my Indian style anymore. My legs starts aching in a couple of seconds and I have to stand up to relax. Difficult situation :)
- arvinjoar 17y agoI think I have Hemorrhoids... Shit, I thought it would go away on its own...
- watmough 17y agoThe only way I've found to address this issue is a healthy diet, rich in fiber. For me that means: - homemade brown bread - lots of vegetables - drinks lots of non-sugary fluids - cut out the candy and sweet baked goods
- pw0ncakes 17y agoSlightly off-topic, but I can't believe that people are falling for the anti-Steve Sailer flame (peanut butter).