Hand pain - needing to cut back lines per week. Anyone else done this?

• Hand pain - needing to cut back lines per week. Anyone else done this? - Sore hands
  • try buying one of the home paraffin-bath - systems and using it
    • My friend let me borrow hers and... - Sore hands
  • Have you considered editing voice rec files? - sm
    • No, I hadn't thought of this. How does a person break into this? - Sore hands
      • Yes, and a lot of companies are - sm
        • Thanks for this info! I'm going to read up on it and watch the job boards! nm - Sore hands

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Help!  Both of my hands today are very painful.  Sometimes I get the usual aches and pains in my hands and wrists from transcribing, but today they BOTH hurt so bad, especially between the index finger and thumb areas.  They feel cramped and the pain is similar to when my shoulders get tense and you rub the knots.  It's not a sharp pain, but a pretty intense pain when I put pressure on my hands, try to lift anything or touch/massage them or even stretch them.  They're painful in the first four digits on both hands.  Has anyone had this and/or have any clues what it is or what I can do to help them.  TIA!

Hand pain is miserable.  I tried transcription gloves and they help.  An ergonomic keyboard is better than a standard keyboard.  Once you get used to using one, you won't want to go back.  One thing that truly helps me is a parafin wax treatment for my hands.  I am also a guitarist so my hands work very hard. I got a home parafin wax setup, not too expensive.  Bed, Bath, & Beyond used to carry them. Refill wax you can find at a beauty supply store.  It wraps your hands in wonderful heat.  Good to do on your night off.  Good luck!

My hands are absolutely killing me!!  I've been tested for carpal tunnel about a year ago, and nothing was abnormal, but I've got the classic symptoms, the numbness, the tingling, the pain.  I've got a good ergonomic setup and I've been transcribing for 6 years, so it's not like my hands aren't used to this.  I get cramps and spasms in my wrist/fingers, and I'm wondering if anyone else has ever experienced this and if so, what have you done to help it?  It's really cut my production down.

Thanks so much!

How long had you been in the business before the onset of the symptoms, how fast did they progress, and what steps did you take to keep the symptoms at bay, without surgery.  Even those who have had surgery, you may reply whether or not it helped.

For me, my symptoms began after seven years, just aching.  I then switched keyboards to split.  That worked for a few months, then the joint pains in fingers.  I typed softer, really concentrated on not BANGING the keys out.  Those two things helped another six months.  Last year about this time, pain again caught up.  I got splints..started B6, magnesium, muscle relaxers, took sugar and pasta out of diet (most), and coffee, carpal tunnel exercises.  If I deviate off this diet for even one day, I get the inflammation in the wrists.  The night splint worked for exactly one year.  Here we are, i'm now on the same boring diet, and have resorted to wearing the splints during the day as well.  I believe this is my last year as an MT.  I need to get a dif job and do this part time or find an editing job which seems impossible.

Could some of you share your time lines so I know how severe mine is in comparison?  Also anything I have not tried, if you could share.  Thanks. 

I do try to sit up straight and hold in my abs, which helps the back.  I also try to remember to breathe deeply once in awhile - raise up your rib cage and take in a good deep breath.  I also switch the pedal foot, sometimes use the left and other times the right.  I started doing that long ago when I got to thinking - what if I had a cast on my right foot, how would I work? Started using both feet - solved that problem.

My problem is my shoulders.  I do shoulder rolls at my desk and also do stretching.  They still get tight though.

And my RIGHT THUMB!  From hitting the spacebar so often.  When that gets bad, I pad it with a Band-Aid.

In the past I have had the same problem, but I found that when I lowered my chair it was greatly improved.  It seems I can type faster with my chair higher, but when I lower my chair I have much less pain.  It is something to do with the angle in which my arms are..  When they are pretty much level with the keyboard that is a great improvement in the pain, although I have to sacrifice a little bit of speed it is well worth it.  I also use a split keyboard which also seems to make an improvement in my pain.  I have been at this work for 30 years and believe me I have had pain in all parts of my body related to sitting in this chair in the same position for many hours at a time.  I wish you well.

I have been having tremendous problems with upper back pain right between my shoulder blades and up into my neck and right shoulder for weeks now.  It makes typing just miserable.

Doc said I had brachial plexopathy, and gave me narcotics and told me to quit transcription.  Since that isn't an option -- any ideas as to how to keep from getting this excruciating pain after an hour of typing?  It goes away on weekends when I don't sit at the computer, so I'm sure it's largely related to my positioning.  I've tried to fix my posture, but sitting up completely straight hurts worse than slouching.

Share any stretches, techniques for arm positioning, etc.  I will be extremely grateful.

Thanks!

Now I just wish it didn't take me all day to do it.  I'm not sure how many days I actually worked this week, whether it was four or five, because all the days blend together into one now. 

I only recently started using an expander, so I do spend some time each day adding to it.

There are some companies out there that will let you work at will from a pool, which is really what IC status should be, but so many are taken advantage of by being asked to commit to a schedule.  STay away from those companies; they are crooks.

In saying that, you may want to do ask which companies allow you 24 hour TAT as opposed to a set schedule unless you'd like to be an employee, and then you could accept the shift work. 

Cardioscribes offers 24 hour TAT.  I cannot think of any others off hand, but the other thing you could do is contact an IC position that is advertised and ask if they would be flexible.  I think Zylomed also offers IC status and some flexibility, but I'm not sure.

Good luck to you...  Best wishes to find what you are looking for!

I know this has been talked about a lot, but I was offered a chance to test for an IC job, and I'm required to type between 2,500-5,000 lines per week.  Since I'm an employee and haven't been paid by the line for about five years, approximately how many hours does it usually take for some of you to type 2,500 lines per week?   

TIA.

chocolate that someone won and offered to share it with you...I think it was you.....*S*  Pembroke Pines you said....*winks* -

Meanwhile my blood sugar has escalated, dontcha know??  Since that.....chocolate arrived here....*lol*.....but not really laughing (high blood sugar NOT good around this house)......