Is stiffness in my right arm a sign of Carpel Tunnel?

[LukFilm]

I've had it like this for about two weeks now. I don't surf or play games THAT much (maybe five hours a day), could it be Carpel Tunnel? Or something else?

 

[Ronstang]

You might be suffering from Whacker's Elbow.

 

[JohnnyKnoxville]

Carpal tunnel you would feel numbness in your fingers

 

[LukFilm]

Hmm, what am I suffering from then? Any ideas? I'm concerned...

 

[perry]

Tendonitis maybe... See a doc.

 

[HansHurt]

I don't surf or play games THAT much (maybe five hours a day),


Umm..that's quite a bit actually.

Is the pain in a joint? For me w/ my tendonidis it is in my right deltoid(shoulder area) it gets sore if used too much. You can probe around, and find the actual tendon causing the problem. Maybe that helps.

 

[compuwiz1]

I used to have that problem, but switched to a marble trackball mouse. It's much better now.

 

[frizzlefry]

Yeah i get that all the time. on and off. its part not enough sleep and being on the computer too long (not enough breaks to be exact)

Try and take 10-15 min breaks every hour or so. and the funny thing it, slouching in a chair makes it worse.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

You might be suffering from Whacker's Elbow

<< You might be suffering from Whacker's Elbow >>

 

[LukFilm]

Thanks for all the replies guys (sans the immature comments that I expected, regardless).

 

[brtspears2]

Same thing happens to me, I just make sure I now go and take a break from sitting in front of the computer for 10-15 mins every few hours....

But then i sit down in front of my PS2...grrr...

 

[Double Trouble]

CT syndrome can manifest itself in many ways, soreness or stiffness included. There's some reasearch that suggests that CT may not even really exist after all, but that's a seperate story. Either way, I would change the position of your chair in front of the computer (raise, lower, back up, come closer, whatever) until you find a more ergonomically comfortable spot.

If you still have this problem, it could actually be a sign of something much more serious, such as a circulation problem or blood pressure problem, in which case you would be well advised to go see a quack....... errrrrr... I mean doctor.

 

[AndrewR]

There was a recent article that I read which debunked the existence of carpal tunnel syndrome altogether, lumping it with other &quot;hysterical&quot; conditions that swept through society and then disappeared. That being said, repetitive motion injuries do exist, but in all likelihood you have tendonitis.

The best therapy for that condition is to STOP DOING what caused it, i.e., five hours of computer activity per day. Go outside and take a walk, go to the gym, read a book, etc. Resist any temptation to go back to the activity for a couple weeks and then try it again but gradually work your time up. If you feel any pain, stop immediately. The problem with tendonitis is that it can take weeks to heal completely, and you can set that time back if you try to return too quickly.

 

[LukFilm]

Thanks so much, I'll try your suggestions. The toughest one will be not using the computer as much. I'll try...

 

[AndrewR]

One thing that worked for me awhile back -- use your other hand for the mouse. It took some getting used to, but I am now ambidextrous on the mouse. I didn't have to alter my computer use (playing online games took some adjustment!), and I was able to allow my wrist to heal.