# Too young for this **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 20, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813 "2003-07-20T23:37:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeartOfGold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7ab992/32.png) [@HeartOfGold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeartOfGold)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/1 "2003-07-20T23:37:17Z")
I am only 17 and I think I already have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. My right hand aches constantly down the middle finger bone segments (too lazy to look up names and such). Any body else with problems like this? Any remedies/rituals/exercises to suggest? I used to take Glucosamine for runners knee (tendonitis), and it seemed to help. I am sure that the apparent success was due to the placebo effect. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/2 "2003-07-20T23:55:04Z")
I just exercise in general and it seems to help mine. I’ve found that stretching out my fingers and exercising my wrists seems to help too. Work em in circles. Adjust the way you sit, too. I’ve found sitting high up so that my lower arms are straight from elbow to finger helps. Wrist braces may help too. And those gel pad thingies they sell that you put by the keyboard. Or maybe just one of those keyboard wrist rests. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/3 "2003-07-21T00:15:44Z")
A guy named John Brookfield wrote a book called _Mastery of Hand Strength_. It costs about $15, and the exercises he outlines there will help you. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/4 "2003-07-21T00:31:36Z")
Of course, visiting a doctor might be advisable as well - unless you have already, of course. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/5 "2003-07-21T00:39:05Z")
And of course this should go without saying, but stay away from the computer as much as you can. ---
**Author:** ![HeartOfGold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7ab992/32.png) [@HeartOfGold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeartOfGold)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/6 "2003-07-21T00:53:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ultrafilter \* > \*\*And of course this should go without saying, but stay away from the computer as much as you can. \*\* yeah that sounds easy doesn’t it? I am trying to avoid doctor visits: my car has been costly recently. I will look into hand specific exercises though. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/7 "2003-07-21T01:00:32Z")
Being unable to perform your job or school work might prove more costly than a visit to the doctor in the long run, HeartOfGold. ---
**Author:** ![HeartOfGold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7ab992/32.png) [@HeartOfGold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeartOfGold)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/8 "2003-07-21T01:13:23Z")
I take your point, Coldfire. ---
**Author:** ![wakimika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f08c70/32.png) [@wakimika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wakimika)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/9 "2003-07-21T02:08:44Z")
I’m mouse happy; keyboard shortcuts are not for me. When my right hand or wrist starts to hurt, I rearrange my desk and use the mouse with my left hand until the right feels better. ---
**Author:** ![plain\_jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@plain\_jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plain_jane)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/10 "2003-07-21T03:04:04Z")
There are splints you can wear that hold your wrists and hands steady and they do seem to help a bit. ---
**Author:** ![im2evil4u](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5ac83/32.png) [@im2evil4u](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/im2evil4u)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/11 "2003-07-21T03:28:07Z")
Go to an orthopedics/medical supply store and purchase a wrist wrap. There are many, just ask for the one that has a metal brace that conforms to the “natural shape” of the wrist and extends from your palm all the way up to your wrist. After suffering for two years, I was this close to having surgery for my carpel tunnel. I had heard so many horror stories about the surgery and a friend told me about this wrist brace. It worked! I wore it for six months straight, (except in the shower, of course) and I have had no problems since then. ---
**Author:** ![macabresoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e68b1a/32.png) [@macabresoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/macabresoul)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/12 "2003-07-21T04:44:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HeartOfGold \* > **…too lazy to look up names and such…** I think I found your problem. I’ll agree with other posters, exercise your hand more. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/13 "2003-07-21T04:46:25Z")
I’m 17, and I’ve got a wart on my one finger. I thought only ond people got warts. [sub]Well, actually, I knew that [i[anyone\* could get warts, but I still thought I wouldn’t get them until I was older[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/14 "2003-07-21T06:44:52Z")
There was an article on tendinits/cts in \Bass Player\ a few months back. Granted, you’re typing, not playing a bass, but they also suggested stretching, and their suggestions were really simple: just pull back each finger before you’re going to start up, just enough to feel a slight stretch, not enough to actually crack your knuckles, and repeat for each finger. If your hands/fingers start hurting, stop, or adopt a new position: don’t let your hands rest on the surface of the keyboard, for instance. And of course, they also make the obligatory request for any suffers to see a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![rumraisin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e7dd6/32.png) [@rumraisin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rumraisin)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-young-for-this/189813/15 "2003-07-21T09:43:32Z")
Support your mousing wrist on a book-- it makes the tingling go away, for me at least.