3 ms·

Well, I am anecdata in that I was diagnosed with cubital tunnel, recommended surgery and 99% cured it with extreme ergonomics. I was working on a large library

Well, I am anecdata in that I was diagnosed with cubital tunnel, recommended surgery and 99% cured it with extreme ergonomics. I was working on a large library with a verbose coding style and a clear plan. It was a year long sprint typing more than ever before. Started feeling pain down the side of my forearm and random needle stabs in my hand. Doc said I required surgery. Instead I took a many-pronged approach to ergonomics: 1. 2 keyboards and 2 mice. Switched to a Microsoft ergonomic on my desk and a flat keyboard on my lap. A mouse on the desk and another on the other side on a pedestal by my chair. Switched between them all frequently. 2. Stretches and massage before/during/after typing. Many times per day. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TSrfB7JIzxY https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TSrfB7JIzxY was a good help. 3. Held my wrists straight and fingers completely loose when typing. Imagine the classic zombie pose with their arms straight out and hands loose. That was me. Moved my whole arms to type rather than move my wrist or fingers at all. Same with the mice. 4. Stopped wearing any rings or a wristwatch. Took months of this for the pain to go away. And, had to continue it through the project. But, since then I’ve never needed to type nearly that much and the random pain never came back. If I get on another typing bender I can feel a reminder that my hands don’t like it. And, if I ignored that I’d probably get right back into trouble. But, for the past couple decades I’ve been staring at code for 100x more time than I spend actually typing.

gymbeaux 3y ago
I would want to know in which fingers you were experiencing the tingling/numbness/pain. Unless it was only in your pinky and ring fingers, it wasn't Cubital Tunnel Syndrome (or rather, not JUST Cubital Tunnel Syndrome - it is possible, though uncommon, to have say Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome at the same time causing tingling and numbness in all five digits, however in such a case I would suspect nerve impingement in the shoulder or neck, before the ulnar and median nerves split from the brachial plexus).

gymbeaux 3y ago

I would want to know in which fingers you were experiencing the tingling/numbness/pain. Unless it was only in your pinky and ring fingers, it wasn't Cubital Tunnel Syndrome (or rather, not JUST Cubital Tunnel Syndrome - it is possible, though uncommon, to have say Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome at the same time causing tingling and numbness in all five digits, however in such a case I would suspect nerve impingement in the shoulder or neck, before the ulnar and median nerves split from the brachial plexus).