[at-l] sticks???-silly question

[nealb@midlandstech.com (William Neal)]

I checked out the site and it looks good.  But may I add my comments? ;-)

It's the repetitive motion and not necessarily the strain that activates any
of the repetitive motion syndromes.  Even "gentle" motions can kick off RMS
like carpal.  Hitting keys on a keyboard does not take a lot of pressure.
And most of the best typists lightly hit the keys.  It's sitting a keyboard
and frequently hitting the keys that gets to you.

I have what I suspect is a RMS with my shoulder.  It matches all the
diagnostic symptoms.  And it comes from reaching for a barcode scanner and a
switchbox.  The angles I have to reach for them from where I sit is a bit
unnatural, but I have to reach for them frequently.  Also, a "bump" to the
shoulder (from where I often have to sit on the bus) has "tenderized" that
area of the shoulder and made it more susceptible to RMS.  

A friend of mine who is suffering from some kind of RMS (the docs have not
decided which one) and a website have both suggested that stretching and
exercise might help and/or prevent RMS before it gets too bad (my friend has
been told to put in for Workman's Comp NOW in case it has to be operated
on).  I think just using the poles as properly as possible and gripping at a
natural height would prevent most of the injuries.  

Also, throw in some stretching and ordinary exercises.  A good websearch
would turn up some of them.  I found lots of pages when I looked a few weeks
back.  Most are for office workers, but could be adapted to hiking.

William, The Turtle

PS	Once I was in a wreck.  I had so much back trouble it looked like
that I was going on permanent disability.  So I walked with a cane for
awhile.  I ditched the cane when I found that I could not walk with it
without pain in my shoulder and hand.  It was the wrong height for me and I
had to grip it weirdly.  I ended up making my own cane and things got
better.
-----Original Message-----
From: Papa Bear [mailto:papa_bear_nyc@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2002 1:50 PM
To: watuwando2@cs.com; "At-L@Backcountry. Net"
Subject: Re: [at-l] sticks???-silly question


If you use sticks (e.g. Lekis) you don't grip the pole!  You rest your hand
on the strap and you just use a finger and thumb to hold the pole lightly.
The pole then swings from momentum, not from gripping it.  It's a trick you
need to practice, but once you do there will be much less muscle strain.
When I get tired I find myself gripping the pole, and when I realize that, I
relax, rest my palm on the strap and my arms relax nicely.

There is a nice web site showing this technique that someone (I think OB)
sent me:
http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/poles.htm

Pb
----- Original Message -----
From: <watuwando2@cs.com>
To: ""At-L@Backcountry. Net"" <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2002 2:37 PM
Subject: RE: [at-l] sticks???-silly question


> Silly question but I was wondering if anyone has ever had a problem with
carpal tunnel syndrom and constantly gripping the stick/pole?
>
> amy
>