Anyone else ever manage to do this?

So yesterday I was working on my fallen angel project. Skinning this time, and I was stupid enough to decide and make it interesting so not only did I have to make the skin and shade it, I also had to get the seams right

Anyway, today I'm finding myself taking it easy because, get this: my hand is sore from all the artworking I did yesterday! I'm an avid computer user and I hardly ever get this, so I'm a little surprised, but I don't want RSI/carpal tunnel, so I'm resting like a good girl.

... and there are still some seams I need to fix and it's hard to keep myself from going in there and fixing them.

Anyone else ever give themselves an injury while making stuff?

Oh and I'm posting this here because um... it involves my hand mainly which is an RL thing, not an SL thing.

No... it's just you!

snickers n runs away

Omg. Mean!

Is not!

*sticks tongue out at her*

Typing long forum posts is the best thing to keep you from getting RSI, yeah, typing..

Well typing doesn't seem quite so stressful on my hands. Not as stressful as intensive mouse/tablet work, anyhow.

And I'm bored because I can't work on my skin more: I have to do something.

This definitely happens to me, especially when I'm really busy with a RL animation or graphics job on a tight deadline. Combine 14 hour days at the computer with the stress induced vulcan mouse/pen death grip and my hand can get very sore. When it happens I take a day off and try not to use my hand much.

Hehe, take it easy. Hope it gets better

I recommend masturbation with your good hand.

I spend way too much time on the computer. At work I have my work PC and bring in my Powerbook so I can do Second Life stuff on my "down time". I go home and get on the computers and I even have a laptop beside my bed so I can do some sufring before I go to sleep.

When I used to get pain in my arms/wrists/hands, I use iced. Ice is wonderful. Sometimes even just running cold water over my wrist helped. Lately though, I have been fine, even when spending hours over the weekend working on stuff in SL and on Photoshop. Knock on Wood!

Try ice, just a suggestion

I often get a sore neck when I'm deep into building.

The sad thing is, I don't stop building, I just move my head to a different position.

Computer's are evil.

O

Yep, I do it too. The way I rest my arm on the edge of my desk while working in GIMP, with a lot of mouse work, has a tendancy to pinch nerves in my arm, which will sometimes make one half of my hand go completely numb. One time it got so bad I couldn't use my right hand for anything that required gripping anything, even eating utensils, for about 2 weeks. Now I take much more frequent breaks to let the blood flow again.

A couple years ago I started having wrist problems, sore arms, sore hands, you name it. My left wrist in particular used to feel like it was on fire by about half way through the day. I made the decision to invest in some good equipment, and all the problems went away. Here are the items I can't live without:

1. Goldtouch Adjustable Ergonomic Keyboard
The chronic pain I used to have in my left wrist went away literally in one day after I started using this keyboard. It's fully adjustable in 3 dimensions to keep your hands in a natural, comfortable position while you type. Unlike most so-called "ergonomic" keyboards which seem to be only comfortable for the people who designed them, this one actually works. The keyboard adjusts to fit the angles of your hands, rather than forcing your hands to fit the angles of the keyboard. It normally goes $120, and it's worth every penny, but I was lucky enough to find one on Ebay for $40.

2. Articulating Keyboard Arm
This has been another life saver. I can set my keyboard at any height, from knee level to desktop level. It can also tilt from horizontal to about 30 degrees up or down, and it can swivel left to right a full 10 degrees. We don't sit in the same position every time we're at the computer, so being able to move the keyboard is a must. Again, I got mine on Ebay. It's similar to this one.

3. Keyboard & Mouse On Same Surface
It's very important to have the mouse and keyboard at the same height. Having them at different heights can be very strenuous on the back and shoulders. For some reason, it's really hard to find a keyboard drawer that's big enough for both the keyboard and the mouse, so I had to make mine. I worked out a size that was big enough to accomodate the keyboard and the mouse, and then I went toHome Depot and had them cut it out of 1/2" fiber board. I covered the top with a couple of those giant mousepads they sell at CompUSA and then I mounted it to the articulating arm. It works really well.

4. Ergonomic Mouse
There are a number of good ones out there. Just make sure you get one that allows your wrist to remain straight and your fingers to rest naturally while the mouse fills the ball palm of your hand. Otherwise, the mouse is straining your wrist, whether you feel it every time or not, and carpral tunnel syndrome will be the eventual result. For me, the Logitech MX 510 is a perfect fit.

5. Gel Wrist Rests
Don't use foam; don't use hard plastic or wood. You want nice soft, supportive gel. I think I got the two gel rests I use at CompUSA (one for the keyboard, and one for the mouse). I have no idea what brand they are, but they're great. The surface is soft cloth, the bottom is some kind of tacky rubber, and the gel is just the right consistency. Again, instant pain relief as soon as I started using these.

6. Adjustable Arm Chair
This is something I think most people never think about, but it's probably the most important item on the list. Without arm rests to hold the elbows at the right height, none of the other stuff really matters. If your elbows are unsupported, then you're putting extra pressure on your wrists and hands to keep them in place, not to mention your shoulders and back, and they're gonna get sore and strained. You want a nice chair with good back support, and arm rests that are individually height adjustable. It doesn't have to be really expensive. The one I got at Office Max for $150 works just great.

7. Monitor(s) At Eye Level
This is more of a back & neck thing than a wirst/hand thing, but it's all the same body and strain is bad no matter where it is. If you're tall like me, sitting the monitor on the desktop simply doesn't work. You have to tilt your head down to face the screen, and that puts strain on the back. To solve this problem, I spent some bucks. I bought a Humascale M7 Dual Monitor Arm to hold by 2 flat panels at the right height for me, centered about 18 inches above the desk surface. It cost about $300, which was painful to spend at the time, but it's been 2 years now, and it was totally worth it. I switched from CRT to flat panels, by the way, a couple years ago because they're much better for my eyes, but if you're using a CRT, get a riser.

Seconded, but switching hands does add a bit of novelty, does it not?

More seriously, too many years as a geek and it took SL to give me the first hints of RSI. There was a recent thread which said trackballs and drawing tablets were highly preferered, with tablets winning high praise among those who do extensive photoshop work and are adept with traditional drawing/painting.

Personally, I've been on 'puters so long that my 8-year-old trumps me in penmanship and drawing houses with circular suns with obligatory yellow rays of light.

added: oops, I meant what Chosen the Wise and Articluate said.

Actually, that trumps all of our artwork, just on general principle!

coco

I've gotten a few dozen burns from trying to show off while cooking....

If that counts ^.^

The problem with tablets, or at least my Wacom Graphire 2 is that I've never found an easy way to flick pressure sensitivity on and off, so I switch back and forth from tablet to mouse depending on wether I want the sensitivity or not.