Repetitive strain injury is a real threat to writers but it doesn’t have to be. You can solve this problem by using speech recognition software or ergonomic work stations among other things we’ll discuss in this article.
Recently I had injured my elbow while re-doing some ebook covers that took me out of commission for quite a while. I often hear other writers complain of pain in their hands, elbows, and shoulders. Let’s discuss each symptom from a writer’s perspective and find out what we can do about it.
FINGER INJURIES – When you type for a living, injuries are inevitable. That holds true when it comes to our fingers. Arthritis can set in and cause problems that slow us down and make us less productive.
Problem – The problem with arthritis in the fingers is it causes swelling, joint pain, stiffness, loss of motion, and lumps around the knuckles. This can happen over time and become so bad that you can’t stand the pain for more than a few minutes. I have signs of arthritis in my fingers and noticed the lumps develop on my knuckles. At first, I didn’t know what was causing that, but after a lot of research, I realized it was connected with the pain I was having when I type. But all is not lost, there are many things you can do for your aching fingers.
Solution – Firstly, you can rest your fingers for a time. That’s the obvious answer. You can take a break from writing, or you can switch to speech recognition software. Dragon software is good. I have used it for years. On my Mac, I use the built-in speech to text though and find it works just as good as more expensive versions. You can also get an ergonomic keyboard. Look for one with soft keys so you don’t have to pound on them so hard. Finger exercises help too. Stretch, stretch, stretch. The most helpful thing with finger problems is anti-inflammatories. I like to recommend natural remedies and find that Turmeric helps me, but you can try whatever works. My three main anti-inflammatories are Turmeric, Kombucha Tea, and Intermittent Fasting.
WRIST INJURIES – Carpal Tunnel is the culprit here. It’s caused from overuse of the wrist. When we type too long, the nerve that runs from our forearm gets compressed because of swelling, and we lose feeling in our fingers causing them to go numb. If you’ve ever had this, it’s uncomfortable and annoying. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to endure this malady.
Problem – The problem with Carpal Tunnel if not dealt with, is you will lose the use of your hands. As writers, we can’t allow that to happen. We have to act quickly to fix this problem so we can continue to write.
Solution – Wearing a brace is very helpful. I remember I had to wear a brace on both wrists at night. If that doesn’t work, you may want to consider surgery, but that may set you back for a long time. Recovery is not easy, and you are not guaranteed the procedure will work in the end. For me, the best thing I ever did was go to the massage therapist. She showed me a stretch I could do every day that took my Carpal Tunnel away. I bend my wrist back upside-down and it elongates those tendons. Preventative measures also help, so get an ergonomic work station so you don’t have to bend your wrists.
My wrist brace.
ELBOW INJURIES – When you don’t follow good ergonomics, you will pay for it. That’s what happened to me. I developed what they call Golfer’s Elbow. The bottom tendon of my forearm became inflamed because of overuse. The top tendon can also become inflamed, called Tennis Elbow. The type of injury you have depends on what you were doing, and how your arm was positioned. I got my injury from working on a new computer. The mouse was ridiculously hard to use and I paid for it big time.
Problem – The problem with this type of injury is it takes a LONG time to get better. It’s not an overnight fix, and the pain is so intense that you can’t even pick up a pen without crying. It took me 4 months to feel somewhat better, but I still have residual effects that will probably take a year or longer to fully heal.
Solution – As I said before, I like to use natural remedies, but if that’s not enough for you, you can use over the counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Some people have gotten Corticosteroid injections but according to Mayo Clinic that has not been proven effective. Instead, some have tried a new platelet-rich plasma treatment which involves taking your own blood and injecting a concentrate of platelets from it, right into your tendon. I’ve actually written an article about it HERE if you want further info on this state-of-the-art treatment. Ice can be an effective treatment also, but rest is the best. If nothing can be done to alleviate the pain, surgery is the next option. For my injury, I recovered by using a brace specifically for Golfer’s Elbow. It is a small clamp brace that tightened around my arm with a gel pad compressed against my tendon, releasing pressure on it so it could heal. You can get them at any pharmacy.
My Golfer’s Elbow Brace.
SHOULDER INJURIES – Shoulder injuries like rips in your rotator cuff can make a writer go crazy. The pain is unbearable. I have also had this type of injury from a car accident, but it can go hand in hand with repetitive strain injuries. In fact, if one part of your body is injured, something else goes out of whack. When I got Golfer’s Elbow, it had something to do with my shoulder as well. They both hurt. According to my chiropractor, they are all connected.
Problem – The problem with a shoulder injury for writers is the constant aching pain. You might feel fine for a while and then wake up in the middle of the night to that nagging shoulder pain you thought was getting better. It also takes a long time to get better from this injury and can plague you for over a year sometimes depending on the extent of your injury.
Solution – I had to take physiotherapy for my rotator cuff injury that was covered under insurance because of my accident. That was the first time I had it. The second shoulder injury I had was connected to my Golfer’s Elbow, and it got better on its own. Some people have surgery to correct it, but if you wait it out, it will eventually get better all by itself. You just have to endure the pain as best you can. Take natural medicines or pharmaceuticals. Whichever you prefer. The elbow brace helped, as did stretches and physio. In the meantime, use speech recognition software to write as much as possible because even small movements of the fingers can cause your shoulder pain to intensify.
NECK INJURIES – If you find yourself having neck pain while writing, you are not alone. Anything from a poorly designed office chair, to slouching, can cause pain in your neck. I had whiplash two times in my life that caused pain. I fell on ice and snapped my neck back, as well as a car accident a few years after that. Having neck pain for any reason can set you back and prevent you from writing.
Problem – The problem with neck pain is it takes years to get back to normal if that’s even possible at all. Even though it’s been well over 5 years since my first whiplash incident, I still have neck issues. I think a lot of it is age related as well. As you get older, you lose the curve in your neck, so it’s important to protect that curve. As a writer, you have to do everything possible to prevent neck strain because neck injury can lead to lightheadedness, dizziness, and loss of mobility. I have all of those things and it’s a challenge to sit at a computer desk for a long time.
Solution – My favorite solution is sleeping on a cervical pillow. That’s a pillow shaped like an ‘S’ that protects the curve of your neck. I also stretch my neck and avoid keeping it in one place for too long. I use natural solutions for pain like Turmeric, and heat and ice whenever I can. Having a good office chair works wonders. For the most part, if you’ve injured your neck as I have, you have to get used to the fact that it will probably never be the same again. As a writer, you have to compensate. Write in short bursts. Get up, move around. Stretch your neck from side to side whenever you can. Sit with ice at the back of your neck while you type because it’s great for taking away inflammation.
EYE STRAIN – With more and more use of tiny screens, eye strain has become prevalent in our society more than ever. Writers especially have to deal with eye strain because of so much computer work. It’s not like it used to be in the old days when we could stare out the window as we type on a manual typewriter. We can still do that, and some writers do, but for the most part, we use modern computers. That means screen time is at an all-time high as a writer.
Problem – The problem is, without the use of our eyes, most of us wouldn’t be writers. Yes, we could learn brail and type an entire book that way, but we don’t want to have to. I don’t want to have to. I only have one working eye since birth, and nothing will fix the fact that my eye didn’t develop properly. If my good eye goes bad, I won’t have a lot of choices as a writer. So you want to protect your eyes and avoid any permanent damage.
Solution – As I said earlier, get an old-fashioned typewriter and stare out the window as you type. When you force your eyes to look far in the distance, it really helps prevent eye strain. Also, get a good optometrist and get a pair of glasses if you need them. Avoid straining your eyes at all costs. Dim your screen, and turn on the backlight. Do NOT write in the dark. Open windows and let natural light into your writing space. Use large fonts and the biggest computer monitor you can find. Last but not least, don’t write for long periods without giving your eyes a break. When you take an eye break, focus somewhere in the distance for a while. Don’t forget to blink.
BACK INJURIES – Sitting on the job is probably the worst thing you can do if you have injured your back. I’ve had a bad back many times in my life, but have always seemed to come back from it. Many can’t. Many suffer from a great deal of pain and feel they can no longer sit at a desk and write.
Problem – The problem with back injuries for writers is lack of comfort. When I write, I need to be comfortable. If I’m not comfortable, I can’t write for long. That means low productivity. I need to get at least 5000 words written in a day to be productive. Yes, we’re all different, but writers in general, need to feel comfortable to do their job well.
Solution – Whether chronic or acute, back pain is a real killer for your productivity, so here are some solutions. A stand-up-sit-down desk it great for your back. Having the option to either stand or sit at your desk will alleviate a lot of pain. Staying in one place too long is counterproductive for your back, so get up and move around when you can. Take many breaks and stretch. The chiropractor is my saving grace and has fixed my twisted back so many times I can’t count. Ice also helps, as does heat. I sometimes sit with ice on my lower back as I write. So helpful. Of course, you can take meds, or natural remedies, or even have surgery on your back. But for the most part, having a good ergonomic work station can help you avoid these problems in the first place.
COMBO – Many writers have a combination of all these repetitive strain injuries. We suffer through pain, just to churn out our next novel. We do it year after year, even though we know it’s hurting our bodies. But… We love writing and we can’t stop. As we get older, we start to realize we have to do things differently if we want to continue our writing passion.
Problem – If we ignore our pain, it will only get worse. Once it gets worse, we won’t be able to continue writing. I know people who can’t do it anymore because of repetitive strain injuries. This article was meant to help you as a writer be pro-active with your pain so you can write forever without becoming a cripple.
Solution – When you have a repetitive strain injury of any kind, STOP! I think that is the #1 best solution. For example, if your Golfer’s or Tennis Elbow is so painful, don’t spend a day at your desk typing. Just don’t do it! I tell myself this because I’ve done it before, thinking if I can just push through the pain, I’ll feel better. NOPE! I didn’t feel better, I felt worse. It’s an injury, and like all injuries, rest will alleviate the pain. Then, do what you can. Get a good pair of glasses. Take medications, natural remedies, ice, heat, use braces. Use speech recognition software and get an ergonomic work station. Go to a massage therapist or chiropractor. Surgery is always a last resort, but if you need it, then do it. Just make sure you give yourself the time to heal and STOP writing for a while. Nothing, and I repeat nothing, is better than good old-fashioned REST!
CONCLUSION – Most repetitive strain injuries can either be prevented or alleviated with common sense. Don’t sit at your desk for 12 hours without stretching. Don’t push through the pain and finish writing that last chapter. REST. If we take care of our body parts, we will last longer so we can write well into old age. I for one, want to write until the day I die. I can’t imagine not being able to write anymore. I can’t imagine not being able to use my fingers because of arthritis, or my eyes because I made myself go blind. I can’t imagine living with chronic shoulder pain, or wrist problems, or something worse. But, it happens to many writers. It’s your job to prevent that. If you want to keep churning out novel after novel every year, you have to take care of yourself and protect your craft and the tools you need to get the job done properly. That’s everything that enables you to have good manual dexterity. And with that, comes mobility. Everything is connected and we need to be pro-active to prevent repetitive strain injury so we can do our best work.
HAPPY WRITING EVERYONE!
BE SAFE!
For more writing from Kathleen Morris, go to Author Kathleen Morris.