ExText-sore thumb
Posted By: Workaholic on 2008-02-26
In Reply to:
Does anybody have trouble with a sore left thumb from doing speech recognition in ExText? I have been doing it now for 5 months and have constant pain in my thumb. Just wondered if there was a better way of doing it.
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Sore neck, sore eyes sm
Depends - if you are young, have the time and need the money, at least it's work. Did it years ago, no "day at the beach" so to say and the ESL's write like they talk, so be prepared to try to figure out what they are trying to say. "He can't get alone with the neighbor." Alone - along - a loan???? " The pt. drink 1-1/2 6 can beer per day." - A six pack and a half??? 9 cans??? Good luck anyway, Honey.
One for the thumb!!! nm
tt
I know what you mean about the thumb.
I also stretch my wrists, hands, fingers often and it helps a lot!
sore arm
I found that it is not from MTing, but actually from leaning on 1 arm/side too much. I had this myself about a week ago on my left side only and found that when I modified how I was sitting, sitting more centered, that the pain has totally gone away with no meds or injections.
I agree, my right thumb too, cause it's the
My right thumb aches constantly, sometimes to the point of almost a burning feeling. I know it's because I use this thumb only for the spacebar! 
thumb w/ mind of its own
I just recently noticed that my left thumb likes to extend when I use that hand to type. It is not to the point of being sore or achy, but it is feeling kind of stressed. I don't know of any other way to describe it. Does anybody have or has had the same issue? How do I make it stay down? Help!
thumb issue
I was thinking that might be it. I do not have an ergonomic keyboard as of yet. I might want to get one pretty quick. I did try buddy taping it to my index finger and hand earlier. That seemed to help too, but took a little getting used to.
my thumb issue was due to
De'Quervans? (I'm not going to look it up right now) tendonitis. It's located on the side of your wrist by your thumb. Mine got pretty nasty, had to go the route of cortisone injections then finally surgery but 7 yrs out and no more issues or pain.
thumb problems
It could possibly be DeQuervain's tenosynovitis. I had it. I was in a lot of pain for a long time. Finally had surgery after several cortisone injections and physical therapy. All better now, though. Good luck.
thumb issue
it is DE Quervain's, I know because I do PT reports. Whether or not this is my problem, we'll find out. I have an ergonomic keyboard coming, as I am not going to mess around with this. I did put a hand towel under my wrist pad. It is helping for now. At least, I don't have to buddy tape. That's a pain. lol. Pun intended!
Actually the ones I have do not have fingers, just a thumb.
I really love them, There is a strap around the wrist to adjust the tightness, but the neoprene is a great fabric that seems to work really well for me. I hate to recommend anything because sometimes what is good for one is not so good for another. I would recommend going to a surgical supply store and they should let you try them on, that is what I did.
Thumb soreness
Anybody have any remedies to help with sore thumb. My thumb is constantly sore from hitting the space bar. The longer I type, the more my thumb is tender. Any suggestions to soften the blow to the space bar
sore fingertips
I also type 10 to sometimes 12 hours a day between my regular 40 hour a week job and extras that I do - I found my right thumb was getting soooo tender so I have since improvised and put a foam ring (that is actually for toes) on it to take the brunt of my hitting the space bar all the time. It works wonders and can't do without it now. But never had any other trouble with fingertips....
And sore wrists. Have you tried any of these?
Smart Gloves. Google them. They're wonderful. About $20 bucks apiece but well worth the money.
Carpal tunnel type straps. Wal Mart. $10 bucks apiece.
I have both and I alternate.
I ended up with numbness in my right index finger, but after buying these, it just went away after a few weeks. My fingers and wrists have some discomfort on occasion, but nothing like they were before.
One more thing, and I know people that do this, if you do "pound" the keyboard with your fingertips, relax those hands, elbows and shoulders and just tap. If that doesn't work, you may want to get a better keyboard.
Good luck! 
Sore elbow(s)
 I use elbow pads to save my shoulders & neck, but find that continually resting my elbows on anything (or keeping them bent at a 90-degree angle or greater) for any period of time exacerbates the pain. My problem is bone-spurs in the elbows - combination of arthritis and/or overuse from sports, etc. But typing, sleeping with it bent, etc. do make it worse. I've found gentle exercises on the machines at the gym to be helpful, provided I don't overdo it. I also use glucosamine & chondroitin supplements for a knee problem that might help a little.
Sometimes sleeping curled around an extra pillow, with my arm stretched out underneath it to help prevent it from being over-bent, seems to help. Also avoiding over-use. I try to keep my med. dictionary on my desk during the day, so I don't have to reach for it, and when I first take it off the shelf in the morning, I do it while standing up to lessen the stress on the joint.
When it does flare up, I've experimented with different pain remedies to find what is most effective. While aspirin works best on some of my parts, my own elbow pain seems to respond best to extra-strength Tylenol, and second-best to two ibuprofen (even though the bottle says take just one.) And the neck and shoulder pain is best relieved by Flexall cream, second-best by ibuprofen.
Best of luck finding the right cure!
sore elbows
I have used a tennis elbow brace that is worn around the forearm right under the elbow. Really helps.
sore elbows
In a way it's nice to know I'm not the only one who has this problem. Not that I wish pain on anybody... :)
Fortunately, I did not need any injections. I had physical therapy--heat, iontophoresis, and exercises--and anti-inflammatories.
The occupational health physician I saw also recommended a keyboard tray adjusted so that my arms were at a 90-degree angle while typing. I know someone mentioned having their arms at that angle made it worse, but my problem at that time was having my keyboard too low so that my arms were going down. Changing the angle did help.
Now when I have a flare-up, ibuprofen usually helps as well as a topical gel called Biofreeze which I buy it from my chiropractor but some independent pharmacies carry it, also.
Sore loser
Grow up
sore elbow
Just yesterday I noticed a lump on my forearm, just above the elbow. It is sore and has a red spot just on top of the lump, but the red just fades into almost nothing (which is just smaller than a dime), and the lump is actually lumpy, but seems to spread into a mass a couple of inches long. Anyone have any experience with something similar to this? I don't want to go to the doctor unless I have to because I know they will want to do an MRI, and all of that "stuff," (so if anyone has had anything like this and may have an idea what it is I would appreciate hearing from you). Thank you.
sore wrists
I use Oregano Oil on my wrists and the tops of my hands. Sometimes it hurts to lift fingers and I run the Oregano Oil along those bones.
sore back
I just moved from a hospital setting to typing at home and I am dying, too. At the hospital, they had these articulating keyboard arms that positioned up and down and forward and backward. I had my keyboard raised and close to me so that I could lean completely back in my chair and type comfortably. I researched those online and they are expensive little boogers. I will be getting one soon. My back is worth it. Look at Office Depot. I think they are listed as articulating keyboard something or another.
Sore back
I too have a bad back and I get backaches when I type. I see a chiropractor once a week and he showed me some stretches that help. I also have a support for my lower back. As far as the keyboard, I use a split keyboard and make sure my wrists are straight when typing.
Just saw your post about how sore
your elbow really is at this point (just to touch). If it is inflamed in any way, go with ice (on 10 min/off 10 min - on covered skin)for a few days. Then do moist heat/ice alternating for a couple days. Do the massage and stretching, as I mentioned in post below, as tolerated (keeping consistent with the 7-8/10 on pain scale). Also, make sure your elbows are not lower than your hands when you are typing. Let me know how it goes.
Anyone have a solution for a sore behind??
I just recently bought a new chair, recommended on one of the sites and it wasn't cheap by any means. But my butt gets so sore when I sit for days. I've tried putting a pillow under me, but that doesn't seem to help very much. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Boy oh boy, have you ever hit on a sore spot with me! -(sm)
I'm up against the same thing with that da**ed BOS. Every other day, it's something. Put a dash between words. Don't put a dash between words. And then each account varies from the BOS in its own unique and utterly ridiculous ways. Frequently the BOS goes against what's correct punctuation and writing style.
This whole BOS cow-pucky is keeping a lot of people busy, and in all the wrong ways. We're so busy worrying about the absurd minutia that BOS tells us is Law, that it's harder and harder to get a decent day's worth of transcribing done.
If MT co's want to use the BOS, then they should tell their clients that that's the standard they're going to be using. But no, every account, even every DOCTOR, wants it their way. I have no problem with typing every account and every doctor their way, but then I sure don't want QA flooding my inbox with marked-up reports, telling me I've done it wrong.
I truly believe that the whole purpose of BOS (besides making couple of shady characters very, very wealthy, is to further justify paying us less and eventually driving American MT's entirely out of the field. An MT can be very experienced, accurate, and fast, but if you keep playing the shell-game with the account specifications, and changing them up every other day, no one on earth is going to be able to keep up with all that and maintain a high QA score.
And the bottom line? Since WHEN does it matter to patient care (which is SUPPOSED to be the bottom line in the medical industry) whether you spell out numbers below 10, or type them in numerals? Since when does it matter if the date is March 14 or 3/14? It DOESN'T! When the doctors check our reports to sign, or before going into surgery, etc., does anyone really think they give a rat's backside about whether we capitalized "operating room", or spelled out the number ten? All that matters is accuracy and readability! The almighty BOS doesn't matter to them one iota.
This whole BOS/QA analness of MT is driving me crazy, too, because it's all about being jerked around.
A good of thumb is 30%, that should cover everything.
x
My rule of thumb is a $100 minimum
Of course, closer relatives and friends receive more, but always at least $100 for graduations, wedding gifts, etc. when someone is an acquaintance.
Sore neck and shoulders
This is the first year that I have had this type of pain. There is nothing that will relieve it and if there is the slightest movement of my computer screen or anything out of the ordinary, there it goes. I am afraid surgery is in my future. I do take breaks and your schedule sounds good. Thanks for the information....
Oh grow up - such a sore loser!
x
Sore left pinky...
Mine gets like that from time to time as well. I tend to stretch it out too far. Usually I'll tape my ring finger and pinkie together with athletic tape (loosely, not as if splinting) for an hour or so to let it rest, and then go back to business as normal.
I'm hoping this will rectify itself when I get an ergo keyboard.
No but I have a sore left pinky from doing
x
That is also a very sore spot, I agree
I requested the same thing about 2 months ago, could a physician pleaseeeeeee spell a name, especially when wanting a cc sent and was told if I could not find, just to pend the note and so I do. Why they are so against asking for a spelling is just beyond me. That should be a no brainer but noooooo, don’t get a high and mighty physician upset.
Rule of thumb - THERE'S NO FREE LUNCH
If you don't want to do much, don't expect to make much. That's just the way it is.
Rule of thumb in the NE is October & April when
the time changes. Daylight Savings starts in April and Standard Time in October. It always works for me. Change all the clocks and change all the batteries.
For those who haven't done so yet, though, better get changing.
Left thumb backspace keyboard
I can backspace with my left thumb and space forward with my right thumb. No reaching up with my pinkie to the backspace key at top right. It's called an "Erase Ease" I think. Let's me fly.
But it isn't a "rule of thumb" anymore...Carla is right...sm
Bella, it's not a "rule of thumb" anymore. That was before the advent of word processing software. Word and WordPerfect do automatically adjust the spacing at the end of a sentence to make it more readable and pleasing to the eye. The only reason so many companies still ask that it be done is because that USED to be the norm in the time of typewriters and that's what we learned from Gregg. Companies I work for who are newer generations and know about the ins and outs of Word and WordPerfect know that they adjust automatically in order to put a clear, able to see, nice looking space at the end of a sentence.
However, with this being said, the original poster should still ask her contractor/client/company what they prefer. It is never left up to us unless we're the owner of the contract and developed the template or format ourselves. Especially if it's an MT account that pays based on character lines. Some would say that extra space is no big deal, but just how many Keystrokes do you think that is in a day hitting that extra space after a period? Maybe enough to make up about 10 extra lines or so? Probably. I'd rather get paid than not if they don't want you doing it and you are anyway.
Soooooo, after my ramble....always ask your supervisor, etc.
DG
Is it at the thumb base? I had mine x-rayed, and it
NSAIDs and wearing typing gloves seems to help. Also, after the initial 1-2 yrs. of constant pain, it did settle down considerably, now only hurts if I use my hands for twisting, such as opening jars, wringing out wet washcloths or laundry, or using screwdrives instead of a power drill bit to assemble, dissasemble things. I also have a lot of pain riding a bike. I padded the handlebars as much as possible, and try to ride with the the sorer of the 2 thumbs resting on top of the handle bar with my other fingers, not gripping it.
Anyway, good luck, and hopefully it'll settle down in a few months!
Rule of thumb on dictation. A dictated
minute on average takes 3 to 5 minutes to transcribe. So, at the top, 60 minutes of dictation can take up to 5 hours to transcribe. Would not do it for less than $20 personally, and then based on what I do now I would be losing money.
Any ideas for sore fingers and hands?
I do hand stretches and massage my fingers, but they are so sore from typing. I can still type very fast, just so sore doing it. Also, my thumb and index finger are drawing toward my palm more so than my other hand. Does anyone know what could cause this?
Also, does anyone else get muscle spasms in their feet while typing? javascript:editor_insertHTML('text',' ');
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TIA.
Have you had a sore throat lately? Don't call me crazy, but....
My legs from the calves down, and especially my ankles, have been swollen
since about the first part of February. I walk around like a "weeble-wobble" doll.
And I thought, gosh, am I too fat?!, eating too much salt?!
Why don't they go down overnight or when I prop them up?
Well, finally I found out that I probably have Hoen-Schoenlein (or something like that) purpura.
They say it recurs. It usually is in kids, but can happen in adults.
IT HAPPENS AFTER A SORE THROAT. It is in the autoimmune family. Sometimes they will give you steroids for it -- but mostly you have to just ride it out.
They really don't know what causes it - but like I said they do suspect it comes in correlation with a sore throat.......and I have had that horrible flu that hit in Feb and I have had recurrence of the flu/sore throat about every 6 wks (as do a lot of the folks I know).
They say the purpura/swollen legs and ankles can last for 6-8 wks or longer.
So, if you have really funky swollen legs and don't have luck with them going down after leaving off salt, drinking plenty of water, and not drinking caffeinated drinks -- it may be HENOCH-SCHONLEIN purpura.
What is HSP?
Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP or anaphylactoid purpura) is a form of blood vessel inflammation or vasculitis. There are many different conditions that feature vasculitis. Each of the forms of vasculitis tends to involve certain characteristic blood vessels. HSP affects the small arterial vessels called capillaries in the skin and frequently the kidneys. HSP results in skin rash (most prominent over the buttocks and behind the lower extremities associated with joint inflammation (arthritis) and sometimes cramping pain in the abdomen.
What causes HSP?
HSP occurs most often in the spring and frequently follows an infection of the throat or breathing passages. HSP seems to represent an unusual reaction of the body's immune system that is in response to this infection (either bacteria or virus). Aside from infection, drugs can also trigger the condition. HSP occurs most commonly in children, but persons of all age groups can be affected.
What are symptoms of HSP?
Classically, HSP causes skin rash, pain in the abdomen, and joint inflammation (arthritis). Not all features need be present for the diagnosis. The rash of skin lesions appears in gravity-dependent areas, such as the legs. The joints most frequently affected with pain and swelling are the ankles and the knees. Patients with HSP can develop fever. Inflammation of the blood vessels in the kidneys can cause blood and/or protein in the urine. Serious kidney complications are infrequent, but can occur. Sometimes a biopsy of skin and/or kidney is used in assisting the diagnosis, which is typically made based on the clinical findings.
Symptoms usually last approximately a month. Recurrences are not frequent, but do occur.
My left thumb is the only "finger" I don't use, carpal tunnel is bad enough already.nm
x
I just noticed my right thumb twitching. I tell ya I'm falling apart! Last week my rear end and
left leg were going numb and now my thumb is twitching. Ya know how you have your thumb poised above the space bar, well whenever I pause my typing my thumb twitches slightly and softly taps the space bar. I keep rubbing my hand hoping it will stop. Anybody else have this problem?
Maybe I'm getting to old to be an MT anymore. Been doing this for almost 14 years and never so much as had a headache. Now within the last year, I have head, neck and shoulder problems with muscle spasms and tightness, my rear end problems, and now this! Frustrating to say the least! 
Had a Sony hand control years ago, then my thumb killed me! nm
..
It IS ExText, Word is simply the word proccessor used. ExText is marketed
by Dictaphone with Transnet and ESP is the expansion software incorporated into it. I used this platform when I worked for the hospital. I believe Wordclient is the speech recognition portion of this platform.
Do you all type when you are sick? I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a stiff achy
neck and my body was kind of stiff all over, but I ignored it, got the kids off to school, and went about my usual routine of having my morning coffee and reading the paper. I don't start work until noon every day. As the morning wore on, my body got achier and achier and I started having chills and basically had to huddle under three blankets so I would quit shivering. I took my temperature and it was 102.3 and I'm wonder if I have strep throat or something. I tend to pick that up about once a year and amy pretty familiar with the symptoms.
I couldn't bare the thought of calling sick especially because I work at home and I always think it's kind of lame to call in sick when you don't physically have to go much farther then down the stairs. I always feel extremely guilty whenever I have called in for illness in the past. Do you guys feel that way? Like we're somehow not entitled to take sick days because we already working from home. I mean, I have them accrued and I am truly sick, why should I feel bad about taking one when I actually need it?
Anyway, I took a handful of Motrin and the aching has eased up and I'm sweating like a pig so the fever broke for now, and now I just feel really tired and would love to lay down and take a nap, but just feel like I shouldn't and dread the idea of calling my boss.
Oh well, guess I'll suffer through like I always do. Every once in a while working at home doesn't feel quite fair. 
I use Verizon mobile and the rule of thumb with mobile broadband is...
Basically, it will work whereever your cell phone will work. If your too remote, it may not work, but I do know a lot of campgrounds like KOA offer Wifi, which means you should be able to pick up that signal too. You can always call ahead to the campground etc. I use mine going down the road for the most part but every great while going through the mountains I lose reception.
Has anyone else had this sore throat/tickly throat/cough
It started with a mild sore throat, then went to a REALLY BAD sore throat, tickly throat so I coughed and couldn't sleep, started getting a runny nose, then sinuses stuffy/sinus headache, sore throat got worse - was starting to think it was strep. Yesterday was the worst; felt like crap. Last night - started to feel better! Finally last night I was able to SLEEP. Today I have felt SO much better. Not back to normal, but at least I was able to drink a cup of coffee. Every other day I have poured myself a cup and then it just sat on my desk all day. My throat is MUCH better and althought I am getting twinges of pain in it from time to time, it's not constant like it has been the last several days. I don't like this, whatever it is!
I would think it was strep except DD had it too and she got over it. She said her teacher had it and the teacher said her doctor told her it's a viral thing.
Extext
Does anyone like extext? Any information on Extext would be helpful! Does anyone like the word Expander better than shorthand?
TIA
Extext
I like Extext a lot and use it with Shorthand also. I didn't even know there was an Expander in Extext until a couple weeks after I started the job. So much for training! No, I don't work for Amphion.
ExTEXT
Is anyone familiar with this program? I have been offered part time and she asked me if i had a dictaphone, and then said we use extext where it goes directly into the hospital. Help!!
Texas - sunny and 78 degrees!
Extext
I HATE ExText. There is NO foundation to build from. You have to start from scratch. I have Smartype which I currently am unable to use with a company I just signed up with, and I'm about ready to quit as ExText is the WORST word Expander I have ever seen. There are NO preloaded words or abbrevs. like there are in SmarType, so starting with the word "a" ... you have to create ALL of your shortcuts off the top of your head. Again, if I'm wrong about ExText, I hope someone will set me right, but for now, I detest it. Sorry; maybe some people like it, but if they do, ask them if they have ever used SmarType or some other Word Expander program.
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