Do any of you get tendonitis while creating art?

DestinysGarden

I get similar issues. Like Jaki, I find myslef leaning forward with my left elbow on my desk with my head in my hand. I have a few extra wrist rests that are on the edge of my desk so that it is at least padded. I also had to get a larger, very fat rat like LeatherGryphon, and that helped tremedously with the right hand cramping from holding the mouse.

The only advice I can give for breaking the habit of sitting in one place for a long period of time is to really work at it. Maybe get a kitchen timer and have it go off every 20 minutes or something. What I do is everytime I hit the render button, I stand up, and stretch my arms. A two minute test render or a 2 hour final render do not need me sitting there the entire time. If you don't want to stand, at least stretch your arms while sitting. Render button, let go of mouse, stretch both arms out sideways, then above head, loosen shoulders. Every single time until it becomes a habit. Render button = stretch.

 

mmitchell_houston

IceEmpress: Traumatic injury at least explains where the pain is coming from -- and OUCH, by the way! That sounds painful. I hate to tell you this, but you may have more pain in that area in about 20+ years. I fell on my left knee when I was 22 (the cause: drunk and stupid). But I was 22; three days later I was fine. However... time marches on and I began to notice strange pangs and pains that happened in my left knee. Now the dang thing hurts periodically in relation to low pressure. Yup. I'm one of those old guys with a trick knee that can predict the weather. Seriously. By comparing my pains to the weather reports, I can tell when a low pressure zone is coming my way. And I'm more accurate that the weather man. When he's "not sure if this is coming our way," I am sure. If my knee hurts, it's on its way. If not, then it will turn or deflect from the area. Lucky me.

larsmidnatt

I just recovered from "student elbow". Had a plum sized sack of fluid near my right elbow. Took about a month to go away. Was not painful. Took some meds and tried not to lean on it. But what actually helped it heal was putting a towel on the desk where I rest my elbow. The towel was folded up thick and over the course of about a week it has returned to normal. 

At work I have a regular desk, but at home my office is an L-desk. So my elbows do rest on the desk. Not really eager to reorganize my home office, been using the dame desk for more than 10 years and too cheap to redecorate. Got 3 montiors so the setup works well for me.

LeatherGryphon

larsmidnatt said:

I just recovered from "student elbow". Had a plum sized sack of fluid near my right elbow. Took about a month to go away. Was not painful. Took some meds and tried not to lean on it. But what actually helped it heal was putting a towel on the desk where I rest my elbow. The towel was folded up thick and over the course of about a week it has returned to normal. 

At work I have a regular desk, but at home my office is an L-desk. So my elbows do rest on the desk. Not really eager to reorganize my home office, been using the dame desk for more than 10 years and too cheap to redecorate. Got 3 montiors so the setup works well for me.

I've never had an actual medical problem because of elbow abuse but it got really painful after my 6th decade so I bought one of those cushy memory foam long wrist rest cushions that I use to put my elbow on  or even lean my whole forearm on when that arm is idle.

http://www.amazon.com/Fellowes-PlushTouch-FoamFusion-Technology-9252101/dp/B008CO4NGS/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1454421809&sr=1-3&keywords=fellowes+wrist+rest 

I did start developing soreness in my mousing wrist and being a pianist I recognized that as potentially dangerous so I use a separate foam wrist rest mouse pad for my mousing hand, and that eliminated my wrist problems.

http://www.amazon.com/Fellowes-PlushTouch-FoamFusion-Technology-9252001/dp/B008CO5VGE/ref=pd_sim_229_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51w2wWiEjVL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1522TM9XPDK1HC9Z8BEC

 

argel1200

I use the Logitech M570 trackball (thumb based trackball) and that helps immensly. Just have to pop the trackball out to clean the bearings from time to time. Looks like it is on sale at Amazon as I post this:

http://smile.amazon.com/Logitech-910-001799-M570-Wireless-Trackball/dp/B0043T7FXE?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-ffsb-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B0043T7FXE

Testing6790

I don't because I don't get nearly enough time with this stuff :(

Etrigan

DestinysGarden said:

I do is everytime I hit the render button, I stand up, and stretch my arms. A two minute test render or a 2 hour final render do not need me sitting there the entire time. If you don't want to stand, at least stretch your arms while sitting. Render button, let go of mouse, stretch both arms out sideways, then above head, loosen shoulders. Every single time until it becomes a habit. Render button = stretch.

I follow a similar pattern. My problem is the stretch often involves eating. :)  Sometimes, too, there is 4 hours between render buttons.