Home Treatment for Repetitive Stress Injury

Recently we wrote to describe and explain how compression at the thoracic outlet can cause pain, stiffness and problems throughout the arms. The problem remains that many doctors don’t know how to diagnose or remedy the problem. You can help your doctors by learning more about your own condition, pay careful attention to your symptoms, [...]

The old wisdom of stretching says: Hold a stretch 20-30 seconds, to relax your muscles and be able to work out harder afterward. But these static stretches aren’t really effective and may actually weaken muscles, according to a new study from the University of Nevada: The old presumption that holding a stretch for 20 to [...]

You don’t have to join a gym, lift weights or start running to be good to your body. The best way to stay healthy is find hobbies that get you moving, help you meet new people, and that are just downright FUN. Although this blog most often covers medical treatments, therapies and disorders, the best [...]

I’ve worked for start-ups, mid-sized and large organizations with vastly different corporate cultures, financial resources and approaches to ergonomic workstation setup. In my experience, larger organizations tend to have more resources in place and are more willing to purchase ergonomic equipment. This might lead you to believe that ergonomically speaking, it’s better to work for [...]

If you’re in pain, it’s tempting to grab some drugs and medicate it away. But, it’s important to realize that the pain itself isn’t the problem. Pain is only a warning message, telling you something else is wrong in your body. Using ibuprofen or steroids to get rid of the pain and inflammation might help [...]

In an earlier post, I talked about some of the alternative treatments that Western medicine is starting to recognize. I also pointed to some of the misunderstandings that doctors still have regarding those treatments. As a patient, it’s good to research and understand all your options. Below, I’m providing an overview of some of the [...]

Since ancient Greek times, doctors have prescribed the use of ice or snow as a treatment for injury. Today, nearly everyone has a gel pack in their freezer, ready for use. However, you can get the benefits of ice more quickly than using an ice pack. If you don’t want sit around for 10-20 minutes [...]

Since I’m only updating a couple times a week, I thought I’d point you all to some other great blogs and resources on the Web. These are the ergonomics-related RSS feeds I keep in my Google Reader. Whatever your specific interest is, there’s probably a blog out there focusing in that topic. So, check ‘em [...]

What exercises can be done with Chinese Medicine Balls? This is a question posed by Bethany in the comments, and I thought the answer deserved its own post. Chinese Medicine Balls, or other similar-sized balls, can be used to help increase flexibility or range of motion in the hands. The general idea is to hold [...]

If your thumb is sore and swollen, there are several things you can do to loosen up and relieve the ache. Hopefully, even if your thumb is sore, your tongue is still agile, because you might have to get it around the word Tenosynovitis. Tenosynovitis, often called Trigger finger or DeQuervain’s syndrome, is actually a [...]