Customer Reviews

Repetitive Strain Injury: A Computer User's Guide

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was recommended to me by both a physical therapist and a friend with RSI. I found it to be wonderfully refreshing and informative, and would recommend it to anyone worrying about any form of computer-related RSI. The authors treat the reader with respect and intelligence, explaining in detail what is going on and what you can do (including when to get professional help and how to make the most of it). Most importantly, they give you hope that you can improve your RSI situation. I have had several professionals tell me that RSI problems are not reversable, even if you only have a minor case ("all you can do is cope"). The authors of this book debunk this myth, explaining the spectrum of both injuries and actions you can take to help yourself.

After years of extreme pain caused by ...poor working conditions ..., I ended up disabled. I found this book four years later. In that time, I had seen two M.D.'s, three chiropracters and two orthopedic surgeons. I was diagnosed as having a pinched nerve.

After reading this book, I made an appointment with Dr. Pascarelli. I was the last new patient he took before retiring.

He diagnosed me as having thoracic outlet syndrome, and wrote up a script of physical therapy treatment for me, which I took back to Ohio and showed to the doctor's here. I still live in constant pain because of permanent muscle damage in my upper back because this wasn't diagnosed sooner, but at least the pain is bearable. I also have problems using my arms and hands. But, today I'm partially disabled instead of totally disabled.

Maybe, if one of the doctor's that had examined me before had Dr. Pascarelli's knowledge, I wouldn't be living in pain today. Or, if I had the knowledge this book provides....

If you use a computer, read this book and follow the advice. You don't have to end up living in pain.

"Repetitive Strain Injury: A Computer User's Guide" by Pascarelli is a good introduction for those who know nothing about RSI. Even a cursory search of the Internet will turn up several references to this book as the classic on the subject. It describes what RSI is, what the risk factors are, how to evaluate your physician in terms of his or her RSI awareness, how to treat RSI symptoms, and it offers tips on workstation configuration, typing and mouse technique, monitor settings, and daily living. If you think you have RSI and your first instinct is to go out and buy yourself a wrist wrest and a splint, stop and read this book first, it explains why these amateurish attempts at self treatment are a bad idea. I was disappointed that the book didn't offer more specific advice for actually treating RSI, though I understand that would have been difficult given the large number of causes and manifestations of the disorder. The book claims on the front cover to contain a "seven point program for treatment", but most of the advice for treatment itself consists of "go see a doctor". This is frustrating given the book's repeated claim that most doctors know nothing about RSI or don't even believe in it in the first place. Another thing that really annoyed me was the book's assertion that employers are largely responsible for RSI. The basic message was: "RSI isn't your fault. It's just another example of how `the Man' exploits you in a thankless and mindless job." In my case, my RSI was caused by my own obsessive work habits. The book does list "Driven Behavior" as a risk factor for RSI, but it gets only a perfunctory mention. Another negative is that the book focuses on tendonitis-type RSI, whereas my problem was clearly nerve-related (numbness, weakness, and lack of coordination in hands, forearms, and upper arms). The book that really nailed my problem on the head, and that I recommend as a supplement to this one if your RSI is caused by obsessive computer use, was "It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!", by Damany, who worked under Pascarelli treating patients for many years.

This book was a gift of serendipity. The information in it allowed me to communicate to my DR's and the State Workers' Compensation Division exactally what my injury is. Because of prolonged computer "leashing" I developed a bi-lateral Ulnar nerve compression. I sought "compentent" medical treatment for 4 months until I read this book. I found such treatment because this publication empowered me to ask the right questions. I will not relate details but I was severly abused in the Medical system (yes I am FULLY insured) prior to having the information Ms. Quilter provides in this excellent book. If you have sore hands, numb hands or, as I did, muscle loss in your arms or hands, BUY this book! I have been given full Workers' Compensation, and have been blessed to find the upper extremity Orthopaedic Surgens at the University of Pittsburgh because of the drive this publication gave me and refusal to stop looking for the best help for my injury.

The current United States health care system does not encourage preventative care in general. Most physicians and surgeons are not trained to deal with repetitive strain injuries in a proactive manner, and there is little incentive to do so even if one has the inclination. We are trained (and rewarded) to deal with the endstage, when the damage has already been done. It is as though we are taught how to repair an automobile engine without being taught how (or why) to change the oil every so often.

I do not wish to give the impression that the medical community is apathetic or indifferent regarding this complex and enigmatic topic. There is still considerable scientific controversy regarding the definition, classification, and pathophysiology of repetitive strain injuries (translation: we don't entirely understand nor agree upon what they are, what to call them, or what exactly causes them). There are several factors which contribute to the development of these conditions. Every patient is a unique individual with unique circumstances (health status, psychological/job satisfaction issues, body habitus, etc.). Therefore, a single comprehensive treatment plan which benefits everybody simply cannot be formulated.

You are not likely to get much help from a physician or surgeon with respect to PREVENTION of repetitive strain injuries. YOU must take the initiative, educate yourself, and change your ergonomic environment and lifestyle. By the time one needs a consultation with a hand surgeon (disclosure statement: I am a fellowship trained orthopaedic hand surgeon), one is usually already up the proverbial creek, hands tingling as they flail away with an inappropriately sized paddle...

Read this book. It is not a panacea (none exists), but it is an excellent place to start.

This book has helped me tremendously. Already having just skimmed it, I have found 3-4 things I do posture and lifestyle-wise that I need to change.

I think there are a lot of users like me that need this book: having intermittant pain that could become serious if not attended to soon.

Don't believe the morons that say RSI is just in your head, or the people on the other end that think it is untreatable and spout horror stories. You *can* recover, and most important, you can *prevent* it.

This is the most comprehensive book I have ever read on repetitive strain injuries. I have been suffering from various RSI's in my wrists/elbows/arms for about a year now, and was very frustrated that none of the numerous doctors I saw seemed to be able to help me, or even understood what was wrong with me. Just one chapter into the book, I felt a great sense of relief that the author *understands* not only the injury, but the frustration and anger that patients suffer. There are detailed descriptions of the various types of RSI's, how they are caused, and what you can do about correcting the problems that caused them in the first place. Along with this are valuable instructions on workplace ergonomics, suggestions for helpful ways to make everyday life easier, pain management, and a resource guide at the end of the book, with suppliers of helpful tools as well as legal resources if your injury is work-related. An excellent book, I highly recommend it.

This book is the single most useful collection of practical RSI information I've found. Highly recommended for anyone trying to figure out how to stop hurting themselves when they're working. I have bought four copies for friends.

A must - have book for anyone who spends more than 4 hours a day at a keyboard or for someone who is experiencing pain while sitting in front of a keyboard. Written by a doctor and edited by a "regular" person, the text is complete and easy to understand. It answers all the questions you might have concerning aches and pains while working at the office. I have done over 150 office ergonomic assessments and I recommend this book to all my co-employees. It is the best that I have seen.

I found this to be the best book as far as having pictures to show how to do stretches and on good typing technique.

Other books I would recommend are:

`The Repetitive Strain Handbook by Robert M Simon, MD and Ruth Aleskovsky'.

`The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies'

`Living Better Every Patient's Guide to Living with Illness by Carol j. Langenfeld'.