5 ms·

Data point: I just turned 50, and I am happily coding away as a developer. Couldn't be happier - I still love to code.

by henrik_w 10y ago

swah 10y ago
Glad to hear - do you take special care of your wrists? I'm 32 and with some problems already...
- henrik_w 10y ago
  Yes, I do! I actually had pretty bad RSI almost 11 years ago (not in my wrists, but in my arms), which have made me use a break program, a split keyboard and a pen-mouse. These changes, especially the break program (using MacBreakZ now) have cured my RSI. More details here: https://henrikwarne.com/2012/02/18/how-i-beat-rsi/ https://henrikwarne.com/2012/02/18/how-i-beat-rsi/
- lfowles 10y ago
  After starting to feel twinges in my wrist I switched to an Alphagrip[0] keyboard so that I wouldn't be tempted to rest my wrists on the desk or a pad. Haven't felt that twinge since... Alphagrips might be hard to find now, but definitely explore alternative keyboards. [0]: http://www.alphagrips.com/ http://www.alphagrips.com/
- drather19 10y ago
  The biggest difference maker for me in terms of alleviating repetitive strain was switching from a mouse to a trackball. Something about not having to tense my arm up and move the mouse all over anymore...
  - swah 10y ago
    I never had pain on my right hand which I use for mousing. My mild pain is the left hand - two hypotheses: this hand is weaker, and too much alt-tabbing. I suspect lifting weights already improves this generally, as I have periods of much less pain which coincide with being more active.
    - bitwize 10y ago
      I had wonky, comes-and-goes knee pain which cleared up when I hit the gym and started doing squats. If you have a body pain problem, "see if lifting doesn't help" is good advice, but you have to be careful, i.e., don't be a dumb gymbro and load on more weight than you know you can hamdle with good form.
  - CalRobert 10y ago
    Trackballs are amazing. The best one I ever used hasn't been made in years, and if you can find a Cordless Optical Trackman new in box it commands a pretty decent price.
- kpil 10y ago
  Buy a Model M or at least avoid laptop keyboards that are extra small. Do some heavy lifting now and again, so that the hands are used for real stuff.
  - swah 10y ago
    Those are some string keyswitches - I have seen a few people recommending against them if you have hand pain.
    - kpil 10y ago
      They don't type hard enough :-) Joke aside, I was mainly thinking about wrist problems. I think any normal sized, model-m layout or possibly split-layout keyboard with non-linear quality switches is ok. If the finger joints hurts, I suppose a lower activation force might be good - I guess one might be Cherry MX Brown, but I don't personally like anything else than buckling spring... The main message is that in my experience, laptops in your lap is the worst, and exercise helps.
      - swah 10y ago
        Sure, thanks! its also interesting that RSI was much rarer when secretaries wuold type all day on heavy typewriters...
- kbd 10y ago
  A few recommendations: 1. use proper posture. Don't rest your wrists on the table as you type. Make sure your chair is an appropriate height (or your desk itself, if you're standing). 2. imo Dvorak is much more comfortable (it's not about typing speed). 3. Take up rock climbing. Seriously. It's the best exercise for your hands/wrists that I know of. Any time I've started to have hand/wrist pain I've made a point of going to a rock gym a few times and it helps fix the problem. I wish I kept up with it more.
  - lfowles 10y ago
    > Don't rest your wrists on the table as you type. As mentioned in my sibling comment, this was _THE_ most important thing in getting rid of wrist pain. Not even a pad helped, it still compressed on my wrists.
- joesmo 10y ago
  Get worker's compensation now--don't wait. Physical therapy can help a lot! You'll have to improve your posture and start taking regular breaks (I use MacBreakz software). A stand/sit desk (I use a Jarvis) will probably help as will a good chair (I got a DXRacer). There are various accessories. I prefer the Kinesis Advantage 2 (http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/shop/advantage2/ http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/shop/advantage2/) and Apple's Magic Trackpad 2 (which fits in the center) of the Advantage. The most important thing is not to wait to get treatment. Also, what works for you depends on how you have injured yourself so try out all the different things available and come up with your own setup. And if you're employed, getting on worker's comp has been a life saver (and probably saved me a few thousand dollars also, not to mention regular insurance maxes out after a small number of therapy visits). Some areas (bay area for example) have support groups. I haven't been but I hear they can help point you to good doctors / therapists. There's also a bunch of literature, books and websites out there with more detailed info than I can provide here (search for "repetitive stress injuries").

Data point: I just turned 50, and I am happily coding away as a developer. Couldn't be happier - I still love to code.

swah 10y ago

Glad to hear - do you take special care of your wrists? I'm 32 and with some problems already...

henrik_w 10y ago
Yes, I do! I actually had pretty bad RSI almost 11 years ago (not in my wrists, but in my arms), which have made me use a break program, a split keyboard and a pen-mouse. These changes, especially the break program (using MacBreakZ now) have cured my RSI. More details here: https://henrikwarne.com/2012/02/18/how-i-beat-rsi/ https://henrikwarne.com/2012/02/18/how-i-beat-rsi/
lfowles 10y ago
After starting to feel twinges in my wrist I switched to an Alphagrip[0] keyboard so that I wouldn't be tempted to rest my wrists on the desk or a pad. Haven't felt that twinge since... Alphagrips might be hard to find now, but definitely explore alternative keyboards. [0]: http://www.alphagrips.com/ http://www.alphagrips.com/
drather19 10y ago
The biggest difference maker for me in terms of alleviating repetitive strain was switching from a mouse to a trackball. Something about not having to tense my arm up and move the mouse all over anymore...
- swah 10y ago
  I never had pain on my right hand which I use for mousing. My mild pain is the left hand - two hypotheses: this hand is weaker, and too much alt-tabbing. I suspect lifting weights already improves this generally, as I have periods of much less pain which coincide with being more active.
  - bitwize 10y ago
    I had wonky, comes-and-goes knee pain which cleared up when I hit the gym and started doing squats. If you have a body pain problem, "see if lifting doesn't help" is good advice, but you have to be careful, i.e., don't be a dumb gymbro and load on more weight than you know you can hamdle with good form.
- CalRobert 10y ago
  Trackballs are amazing. The best one I ever used hasn't been made in years, and if you can find a Cordless Optical Trackman new in box it commands a pretty decent price.
kpil 10y ago
Buy a Model M or at least avoid laptop keyboards that are extra small. Do some heavy lifting now and again, so that the hands are used for real stuff.
- swah 10y ago
  Those are some string keyswitches - I have seen a few people recommending against them if you have hand pain.
  - kpil 10y ago
    They don't type hard enough :-) Joke aside, I was mainly thinking about wrist problems. I think any normal sized, model-m layout or possibly split-layout keyboard with non-linear quality switches is ok. If the finger joints hurts, I suppose a lower activation force might be good - I guess one might be Cherry MX Brown, but I don't personally like anything else than buckling spring... The main message is that in my experience, laptops in your lap is the worst, and exercise helps.
    - swah 10y ago
      Sure, thanks! its also interesting that RSI was much rarer when secretaries wuold type all day on heavy typewriters...
kbd 10y ago
A few recommendations: 1. use proper posture. Don't rest your wrists on the table as you type. Make sure your chair is an appropriate height (or your desk itself, if you're standing). 2. imo Dvorak is much more comfortable (it's not about typing speed). 3. Take up rock climbing. Seriously. It's the best exercise for your hands/wrists that I know of. Any time I've started to have hand/wrist pain I've made a point of going to a rock gym a few times and it helps fix the problem. I wish I kept up with it more.
- lfowles 10y ago
  > Don't rest your wrists on the table as you type. As mentioned in my sibling comment, this was _THE_ most important thing in getting rid of wrist pain. Not even a pad helped, it still compressed on my wrists.
joesmo 10y ago
Get worker's compensation now--don't wait. Physical therapy can help a lot! You'll have to improve your posture and start taking regular breaks (I use MacBreakz software). A stand/sit desk (I use a Jarvis) will probably help as will a good chair (I got a DXRacer). There are various accessories. I prefer the Kinesis Advantage 2 (http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/shop/advantage2/ http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/shop/advantage2/) and Apple's Magic Trackpad 2 (which fits in the center) of the Advantage. The most important thing is not to wait to get treatment. Also, what works for you depends on how you have injured yourself so try out all the different things available and come up with your own setup. And if you're employed, getting on worker's comp has been a life saver (and probably saved me a few thousand dollars also, not to mention regular insurance maxes out after a small number of therapy visits). Some areas (bay area for example) have support groups. I haven't been but I hear they can help point you to good doctors / therapists. There's also a bunch of literature, books and websites out there with more detailed info than I can provide here (search for "repetitive stress injuries").