I’ll address that question below, but to begin with, what is cortisone anyway? Cortisone is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland. It is technically a cortico-steroid (not to be confused with the anabolic steroids that bodybuilders often use), and it is essential to maintain proper function of your body. Aside from certain people who suffer from Addison’s Disease, it is naturally produced by every human being, so no one is allergic to it.

If you get a cortisone shot, you probably won’t be injected with the pure stuff. Instead, cortisone derivatives such as Kenalog or Celastone, which last longer and produce fewer side effects, are more commonly used. Also, there is usually a pain reliever included in the shot. People who suffer allergic reactions to the shots are generally allergic to the pain reliever rather than the cortisone derivative itself.

Cortisone can be effective in suppressing inflammation for short periods of time. This will provide some pain relief, but without addressing the underlying cause of the condition, the pain will return after the effects of the shot have worn off. Also, there is a limit to the number of shots that can be performed within a given time period, since animal studies have shown that cortisone can weaken tendons and cartilage in joints when over-administered via local injections. (This is not a problem with oral cortisone doses, which are absorbed by the body gradually over a period of time.) This possible adverse effect is more worrisome in younger people, as their joints and tendons are still healthy, so patients below the age of 25 especially are encouraged to exhaust all other forms of treatment before getting cortisone injections. With older patients, whose joints generally have already experienced significant damage, it is not as much of a concern. Also, certain tendons – the Achilles tendon in particular – are prone to rupture even when the injections are performed with the utmost care.

Inflammation, while often a useful physiological reaction, can actually hinder healing when it is present in excess. The idea behind a cortisone shot is that by helping to suppress unnecessary inflammation, it will thereby aid in healing. However, the most recent medical studies are increasingly showing that tendonitis, RSIs (tennis elbow and runner’s knee; carpal tunnel syndrome and related conditions suffered by data entry professionals) and the like are not actually caused by inflammation, but by some other mechanism — the most likely culprit being direct damage to, and/or fraying of, the tendon. This, of course, calls into question the entire rationale for the shots in the first place.

So why do patients report a decrease in pain? For starters, not all do – cortisone shots are reported as being effective in only about 50% of the people who receive them. For those that do experience relief, the most likely explanation is that the analgesic included in the shots has a temporary deadening effect on the pain. Also, placebo effects are powerful and can never be discounted.

While cortisone shots are a very effective treatment for certain conditions such as arthritis in older patients, there are serious questions as to their effectiveness when it comes to conditions like RSIs, tendonitis, tendonosis and the like. In younger patients and runners suffering from Achilles tendonitis in particular, it seems that there are more effective tendonitis treatments available, with a better cost/benefit ratio and far better success rates. Admittedly, cortisone shots are relatively inexpensive, easy to administer, and don’t take a lot of time. Further, they fit very well into the usual medical paradigm of addressing a condition rather than the cause of the condition. And, of course, doctors can monitor their use. But when you consider the discomfort of receiving an injection directly into damaged tissue, the questionable mechanism by which it is supposed to work, the coin-toss percentage of patients who report even temporary pain relief, and the possibility of potentially severe side effects, it makes sense to try other treatments first.

Article by Alex Nordach. If you’re looking for a tendonitis treatment that will address the underlying cause of your condition, doesn’t require a physician’s supervision, is extremely safe and that you can control in your own home, simply click on the link.

It is much easier to try and avoid the root causes than it is to adjust and recover once it’s too late, after all the repeat activity that’s causing the problem is no doubt a major part of your day-to-day working life. Often caused by being sat at a computer or workstation all day, here are some easy to follow tips to help you avoid the pain and impact of repetitive strain injury:

1. Move your working area around to suit your position and posture; don’t let it dictate how you arrange yourself.
2. Alter your equipment if it is not ergonomic! Don’t put up with it, replace it.
3. Make sure your posture is correct; an adjustable chair can definitely help. Although they are expensive they’re much less costly then a bad back and constant discomfort.
4. Make sure your desk is the right height for you and not your chair. Just heightening it with something under the legs or lowering it by shortening the legs with a saw will do if the desk isn’t adjustable itself.
5. Getting a fully adjustable keyboard will make a huge difference, once you try one you’ll realize!
6. Have a few different mice! If you rotate between the different designs will reduce repetitive movements. There are many different options including trackballs that take a bit of getting used to and vertical mice that reduce pronation and twisting of the wrist. Both will help avoid RSI.
7. Having a document holder at head height behind your keyboard and next to your monitor helps you keep your posture and your head upright.
8. Make sure your monitor is at the right height and distance for you, in line with your eye line and far enough away for your arms to be almost straight with a slight bend when typing. If using a laptop, try a stand.
9. Enquire about RSIGuard Software, it will give you essential information about how your everyday behaviour is damaging your wellbeing.
10. Don’t hang about! Your body will put up with the strain you put on it for quite a while but once it stops holding up, recovery can be long and painful.

Article by James H Hunt. For loads of news and information on health at work visit corporate healthcare specialist Benenden Healthcare’s website.

Those with mild symptoms may need only to take frequent breaks to rest their hands and/or apply cold packs to reduce occasional swelling. As symptoms increase or if these techniques fail to provide relief, wrist splinting such as you have used is an appropriate next step. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may offer relief by reducing swelling and pain. A final option is corticosteroid injections directly into the wrist to decrease inflammation. If the CTS is caused by an underlying health condition, treating that condition may result in lessened CTS symptoms.

The last resort is surgery, which does not work for everyone; however, about 70 percent of those who have undergone the carpal-tunnel-release procedure say they are completely or very satisfied with their results. Some may experience residual pain, numbness or weakness.

Speak with your physician regarding further treatment options, or request a referral to a specialist who can better help you.

Read more from The Spokesman-Review: Carpal tunnel treatments have uneven results

Here’s the story:

The Cincinnati Reds right-hander has carpal tunnel syndrome in his pitching hand. It got so bad during spring training last year that he had to wear a brace when he wasn’t pitching. He wasn’t allowed to write or play the guitar.

The weakness he felt in his hand started affecting his pitches, giving the Reds a huge scare heading into the season. The problem eased with cortisone shots and Arroyo got better as the season went along, finishing with a 2.07 ERA in his last 16 starts.

Then, he had to make a decision. He could have had surgery to try to fix the problem. Instead, he decided to stay with the same regimen. He limited his guitar playing in the offseason and will give it up again while he’s playing baseball, hoping that gets him through another season without an operation.

“The last 16 games of the season were just too good to take a chance,” Arroyo said Tuesday. “I didn’t want to come into camp being two-thirds ready because my hand got cut on and I wasn’t up to par.”

Read more from USA Today: Reds RHP Arroyo’s carpal tunnel has subsided

By applying motion to experiences, ErgoMotion™ is redefining ergonomics and changing the future of computing comfort forever!

The Truth About Ergonomic Products
Many ergonomic products on the market today are designed to find the perfect “fixed position” to alleviate stress to the user’s hands and wrists while they work. These products are designed with the belief that by placing the user’s hands and wrists at a “natural” angle this will properly address Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI). However, studies show repetition, not the position, induces RSI such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), proving that any fixed position will not solve the problem. In fact, over time, prolonged work in the same position will only cause injury no matter how natural the position.

Motion Heals
ErgoMotion™ is built on the concept that movement is the key to healthier computing. The medical community has long supported movement to be beneficial to the human body, which promotes blood flow and decreases inflammation—inadequate blood circulation and inflammation are both considered key contributors to RSI. It was Smartfish’s founder, Dr. Jack Atzmon, who’s own experience with RSI lead him to question the effects ergonomic computer products had while he worked. Through Dr. Atzmon’s own research he challenged “fixed-position” products and their claimed benefits, and developed a theory that motion was the solution to true ergonomics.

Smartfish partnered with New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) to study the affects motion would have on a user while they compute. It was the collaboration with HSS that helped develop ErgoMotion™ proving subtle, even incremental movement would increase blood flow and reduce inflammation eliminating the risks of RSI. By applying motion to products, ErgoMotion™ is redefining the future of ergonomics. It is the first technology to actually address the root causes of RSI, and empowering the user to compute healthier.
Read HSS White Papers.

Applying ErgoMotion™
The Smartfish ErgoMotion™ Laser Mouse and ErgoMotion™ Keyboard are the first products to leverage the ErgoMotion™ technology. The ErgoMotion™ Laser Mouse utilizes a patented motion-base that conforms to the user’s natural hand and wrist positions while they work. However, the ErgoMotion™ Keyboard creates a slightly different ErgoMotion™ experience by tracking the user’s work pattern and making incremental changes to itself so the user’s hands and wrists are never in a static position while typing.

Learn more about the ErgoMotion™ Laser Mouse (available in black and white designs) and the ErgoMotion™ Keyboard (also in black and white).

Both the mouse and keyboard are available for pre-order from Amazon (affiliate link).

1. A carpal tunnel wrist brace or splint can be worn at night and during any activities during the day that may aggravate the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
2. Your doctor may subscribe anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS, such as Ibuprofen) to help with the pain.
3. Changing the activities that you do with your hand can help, as well. Although, if your job is typing or some other activity where you are using your wrists and hands a lot, this may not be an option. Generally speaking, you want to avoid holding your wrists in a downward bent position for long periods of time.
4. Some doctors advocate giving carpal tunnel syndrome sufferers corticosteroid shots to help relieve the pain. However, they are only temporary and the pain and other symptoms can return.
5. Add B6, Riboflavin and Biotin to your diet. Taking a supplement is the best way to do this. Just don’t take more than 100 milligrams of B6 without consulting your doctor. Too much B6 can make you sick — causing sensitivity to sunlight, a rash, and other nasty symptoms. Doctors aren’t quite sure what B6 does that helps carpal tunnel syndrome, but it is speculated that B6 acts as a diuretic causing the body to eliminate excess fluid. Whatever the reason, studies with animals have shown that B6 reduces pain, and patients who take it claim it works. Biotin and Riboflavin are also B vitamins and work synergistically with B6, so some doctors say you should take a supplement with all 3 in it.
6. Accupuncture is another natural treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome. Again, researchers aren’t exactly sure why it works, but some believe that acupuncture releases natural pain killing endorphins that help to relieve (and in some cases cure) carpal tunnel syndrome. In one study all of the people whose surgeries had failed to cure their carpal tunnel syndrome noticed marked improvements in their symptoms and pain.
7. There are a number of different yoga stretches that can help alleviate the symptoms associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. A number of these stretches include hand poses, but there are also some poses that stretch your back, spine, and shoulders which help as well. Here are some simple finger stretches you can try. Or, you could ask a partner to massage your hands for you.

There’s some good advice here, and some more solid information in the article itself. [read more]

I know just how that feels!

But on to the list:

10. Elevate your laptop to eye level
9. Mix up your positions with a standing desk
8. Get better sleep support
7. Invest in a real mouse and keyboard
6. Align yourself properly with your computer
5. Build your own ergonomic desk from scratch
4. Use exercises to ward off RSI
3. Fine-tune your desk spacing
2. Use software enforcers
1. Go easy on your eyes

Good suggestions all. Give ‘em a try so you don’t end up like that fellow in the illustration!

These are just some of the questions that accompany repetitive stress and will be asked… but what exactly is RSI?

RSI or Repetitive Stress Injury affects millions of people today. Although it is commonly thought of as a work related injury, repetitive stress injury is just that… so it can and does occur from engaging in activities you love doing… if you repetitively put some sort of strain on a given part of your body.

RSI will normally affect those that are sitting at a desk (especially a computer) every day for hours on end. Standing in a production line hour after hour is also a very common way to develop a repetitive stress injury.

These types of continual non-varying activities can take a toll on your body… and eventually your body will let you know that it is growing weary of these constant activities.

However, if aren’t aware of the warning signs or don’t know what to look for in the first place; how are you going to know what to do about them.

These may very well be some of the everyday aches and pains that you are suffering from, but you don’t have to live with them. You can do something about them.

So, let’s take a look at the warning signs of RSI.

As with anything, your body gives you signs when something isn’t quite right. The problem is that you need to be able to identify what it is that your body is trying to tell you. You need to make sure that you are in tune with your body and any aches, pains, or whatever it is transmitting to you. Every individual is different and everyone may or may not have the same specific warning signs, but there are commonalities when it comes to RSI… and if you believe you have any it is wise to consult with your doctor.

With RSI you can have recurring pain and/or soreness in your neck, upper back, shoulders, wrists, or hands. You may even experience tingling, numbness, coldness, or loss of sensations in the affected areas as well.

For instance, a loss of grip, lack of muscular endurance, weakness, and fatigue are all very common signs. All warning signs of repetitive stress.

You may even have tense of even locked muscles in your shoulders and/or arms. If you experience chronic pain or numbness as you lie in bed, this may not simply mean that your arm or hand is just asleep. You should take these warning signs seriously and monitor them closely. If they continue, you should not continue to go on without getting them checked out.

It is certainly worth a trip to the doctor, if you begin experiencing any type of chronic pain. Listen to your body and do what is right for your body and your health. No one wants to live with pain.

Staying in good health means listening to your body and knowing of the warning signs that your body may be transmitting to you. Pay attention to the things that are going on around you or the things that are going on with your body. Only you can know for sure what is happening with your body, and if it is normal. Don’t ignore the warning signs of pain… especially if the pain advances to being chronic… even if only “a little” chronic pain.

See your doctor to find out more about RSI and if you have it.

Article by Jeff Foster. For more important information on repetitive stress injury be sure to visit http://www.rsi-aid.com where you will find advice and tips on repetitive stress injury treatment and repetitive strain injury and more on staying pain free.

The RSI Relief Facebook Page provides a neat way to follow what’s happening at RSI-Relief.com. We’ll use the Facebook page to highlight the latest RSI and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome news.

The Facebook page also gives you an easy way to interact with other people who suffer from RSI — you can post something to the wall, or open a discussion of RSI topics.

You can tell everyone about your tactics for dealing with Repetitive Strain Injury, share your successes and frustrations, or ask for advice from other RSI sufferers. The Facebook group is also a great way to connect with other people experiencing the same issues you are.

To follow RSI Relief on Facebook, just visit the RSI Relief Facebook Page and click on the “Become a Fan” button at the top of the page. From then on, posts from RSI Relief will show up in your Facebook timeline, making it easy to keep track of what’s going on at RSI-Relief.com and the world of Repetitive Strain Injury.

(Of course, to become a fan, you’ll need to join Facebook. But don’t worry, it’s free, and it’s fun, and it’s a great way to keep up with your family, friends, and your favorite web sites!)

Here’s what the company has to say about the product:

The MouseBean Hand Rest is designed to provide support, protection and comfort when using a mouse. Following detailed research into the causes of mouse-induced wrist pain, the MouseBean Hand Rest tackles the problem by applying sound ergonomic principles, stylish product design and engineering.

Professional computer users have put the MouseBean Hand Rest through extensive trials and the device has been tested and endorsed by a consulting surgeon.

The MouseBean Hand Rest protects the delicate median nerve that runs through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. It does this by preventing the central part of the wrist from being pressed against a hard surface. The MouseBean Hand Rest supports the hand on the soft fleshy parts either side of the median nerve, and can help to prevent serious nerve damage.

The MouseBean Hand Rest allows the wrist to rotate into a comfortable position and can be used on either hand. The gently rounded base allows it to slide on and off the edge of a mousemat without snagging.

The company also notes that since the pads are made of a squishy gel-like material with a tactile surface, many of their customers use the product not only as a mousepad, but as a stress reliever. Interesting concept.

The MouseBean is available in a wide variety of color combinations to match your mouse, computer, office decor, or just your own whimsical sense of style.

Have you used this product? What did you think of it?

Learn more about the Mousebean Ergonomic Hand Rest at mousebean.com