Customer Reviews

The Repetitive Strain Injury Recovery Book

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

 

 

I read this book because I had severe RSI and wanted to recover. The first thing I read in it was that I had a chronic case and would never recover. This was followed by an avalanche of anecdotes about people who are radically crippled for life. These were intermingled with depressing advice about how to "handle" your newfound, chronic handicap. For example, Quilter says that people with RSI can still work any job, as long as they work at their own pace. So far, so good. Then she says most employers won't let you work at your own pace and goes on to suggest that you must change careers unless you want to do even more permanent damage to yourself. Great, just the kind of upbeat advice I needed to hear.

I suggest that unless you want to scare the pants off of someone who does not take their RSI seriously, you should get the original Pascarelli and Quilter book for overall information and the Damany and Bellis book for a concrete and helpful recovery plan.

This is an amazingly dystopic book, absolutely full of horror stories and unhappy endings. There's a chapter on how to have a sex life despite RSI, how to sue for loss of a career, the testimonial of a man who was paralysed from the waist down but found RSI more disabling etc - but nothing concrete about what RSI actually. OK, so now I know that if I have tendonitis I'm more likely to get carpal tunnel syndrome and the rest of them but this book doesn't give me information on what tendonitis (or the others) actually is or how to make much of a change. There are quick mentions of various treatments but there is no discussion of their relative merits. The author tells us about her own exercise program (30-40 minutes a morning with weights and 1 1/2 hours of ballet four times a week plus walking and stretching) but there are no specific exercises that can help you avoid recurrance or assist in healing.

Please also notice that Deborah Quilter is not a medical professional but a health writer who has had RSI herself.

There is a good, explicit (but short) section on how to change your typing which I haven't seen other places.

Ms. Quilter's book is good when it comes to advice on selecting a doctor and therapist, and also dealing with the guilt and depression associated with RSI. But I found it enormously lacking in not only the causes of RSI, but of what the specific injuries are and how you can recognize them. Emil Pascarelli's work, even though it is now five years old, remains the No. 1 source guide for anyone who has RSI.

Great book, except:

Like many authors of medical self-help books, Quilter urges her readers to enlist competent medical help. Unfortunately, she does not say that although one can find good, knowledgeable physical therapists, it is almost impossible to find an American medical doctor who knows anything about RSI. She does not mention that although it is an official diagnostic category in the UK, Australia and the Netherlands, neither RSI, nor any medical synonyms (i.e. overuse syndrome, cumulative trauma disorder, etc.) appear in American diagnostic guides (although other "controversial" syndromes like Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue syndrome do!) So ... American doctors can not officially "know" about RSI. This also makes it difficult for RSIers to follow Quilter's most important recommendations -- rest and pacing, since we often need medical justification (at least a doctor's note) to get appropriate accomodations at work.

I just ordered my 4th copy of Deborah QUilter's book. I fell down tonight and landed on my right hand and wrist. When I got home I went to my bookshelf to look up how to treat my sore wrist and hand, but the book was gone. I realized I'd "loaned" it to a friend who was complaining of wrist and neck pain from too much time at the computer. I love this book because of the practical information on how to take care of myself. Quilter's advice gives me hope that if I pay attention and take care of myself, I can stop my RSI (aka "carpal tunnel") from getting worse and even improve it. That's more encouraging than what I've been told by doctors. Her writing speaks to me like a friend who knows what I've been through. It's not condescending like many medical books. It isn't new-agey. It seems real, sensible. Like the other reviews here, there are scary stories of what can happen because of RSI. I worked for years as a legal word processing operator as well as writing and publishing a novel and magazine articles. My hands are my work tools. I take this very seriously. When it hurts to open a jar or pick up my cat, that is frightening. I took my hands and wrists for granted until they started throbbing and having darting pains. Quilter's book helped me to first live with my aches & pains in a manageable way. Then, following her suggestions like proper posture and taking breaks from the keyboard I have improved and feel so much better! I also enjoy her subtle sense of humor and was glad she put in a section on sex. I wasn't expecting that when I first read the book but it made me realize I wasn't the only one who had trouble "getting a grip" on the situation. :-)
As for the "dystopic" stories mentioned in previous reviews, I thought Ms. Quilter made it apparent that some suggestions should be taken with a grain of salt. I don't need to change careers or stop typing forever. Maybe some injured people do. I need to be able continue writing without pain and discomfort. This book helped me learn how to do just that and I highly recommend it!

I disagree with the reviews below, I thought this is a fine book, a good complement to the books "It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" by Damany and " Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Other Repetitive Strain Injuries" by Sharon Butler. It's true the latter two have much more on specific exercises to help get you better and I liked the medical information in Damany. However they don't have a lot of practical information on how to cope with your life during the healing process when you can't do a lot of the things you normally do in your daily life. This book fills that gap. It's got lots of practical suggestions of how to do things when you're injured. It's more of broader focus than the other books on the overall changes you need to make beyond the specific exercise program. I would recommed someone with an RSI get all three books as the information is complementary.

After a 6 month leave of absence, I returned to my legal secretary position and picked up right where I left off. I ended up with so much pain in my arms and hands I was taking massive doses of Motrin every 4 hours. The techniques described in this book showed me how to set up my work station properly, how to makeover my work habits and allowed me to continue working - while healing! After only several months (and without surgery), I was pain free and, after 3 years, am still doing great!

When my right wrist/hand/arm started hurting from overusing a mouse, a friend told me her partner had cured a similar problem simply by following the advice in a book. I took three books out of the local library; this turns out to be the one she remembered, and after reading it I wanted a copy permanently on my shelves, so I bought it. It hasn't "cured" me, but it certainly helps me understand what needed to be fixed ergonomically.

I rarely go to the supermarket without seeing checkout clerks in wrist braces and wanting to tell them (and their bosses) about Ms Quilter's books. I have this book as well as the earlier one she co-authored with Dr Emil Pascarelli. Ms. Quilter offers no miracle cures or quick fixes. But I followed her sensible advice (including a visit to my doctor) when I had my first keyboard injury some years ago, and I got better. Unfortunately, I did NOT want to hear that I was now "living with RSI" forever. Like several of the negative reviewers here, I found the author's warnings dire and depressing. However, my subsequent experience with re-injuring myself (over and over) convinced me that Ms Quilter is right. "Recovery" is only possible when you develop the "mindfulness" that I consider this book's single most important message. RSI is not like a broken bone that knits up as good as new. It's like a bad back. If I don't do my back exercises, my back goes out. If I don't follow Ms Quilter's preventive tips, my RSI flares up. My conclusion is that RSI is best viewed as a chronic condition, and the reviewers who find this point of view depressing are shooting the messenger. BTW, once RSI mindfulness becomes a habit, it is about as depressing as putting on a seat belt.

I found this book extremely helpful. Deborah Quilter has in-depth knowledge of the subject matter from both personal and professional experience and she is a very good guide through the morass of recovery, providing both general and very specific advice.