It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!: RSI Theory and Therapy for Computer Professionals

by Suparna Damany, MSPT, Jack Bellis, Suparna Damany

Book Overview

This guide offers computer users who suffer from repetitive strain injury an effective program for self-care. It explains the symptoms, prevention, and treatment of RSIs and also addresses the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0965510999
• ISBN13: 9780965510998
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: Simax
• Length: 231 Pages
• Weight: 0.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

The first book about RSI you have to read

If you suffer, like me, from a RSI, namely from PC overuse (although there's a lot of ways of acquiring this illnes, like knitting, playing golf, tennis or other repetitive motion) this is the book for you. There are many books out there, and although I have not read them all, I have researched a lot about this illness and this is one of the best books to get. Filled with information about Computer acquired RSI, the authors go through every major detail about the illness: Posture, genetics, diet, work habits, ergonomic workstations, you name it, they have researched a lot. Then book features a direct and easy language, nice B/W illustrations, and many sites for research all over the Web, which you can use to further your knowledge about RSI.This book doesn't feature too many excersices, it is mainly informative, and the authors just give a few pointers and encourage the reader to find professional help.Now the negative: There are a couple of things I did find somwhat odd in this book. After describing and defining RSI, and documenting how missunderstood this illness is by the medical community, they jump into their major recommendation: Go to a doctor and get a proffessional opinion. Well then you have to find a doctor versed in RSI, and not one that only want to operate, like they did on the many cases described in the book.Second, I actually found a little offensive. They are quick to dissmiss any form of alternative therapy such as herbs, taking vitamn B6, homeophaty or even acupuncture regarding them as 'new agey' and not worth trying. To the mainstream or regular medical community, massages and physcal therapy like the authors suggest are also alternative. I have personally combined exercises with acupuncture and healthy eating habits plus suplemments, with good results.In all, a great resource book, not many excersices but a lot of info, and we all know the best tool against any illness is information.Buy it along with Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome : And Other Repetitive Strain Injuries by Sharon J. Butler and begin your journey towards recovery. Peace and Health to you.

Prime Resource for Computer Professionals

When I whipped up a quick Web page for our Engineering College students about Repetitive Strain Injury back in 1994... at first there was only one book on it: Pascarelli and Quilter's "Repetitive Strain Injury". Over time I read more books, heard from other people about still others, and the book list and Web page kept getting longer. Today it's pretty big and with so many books listed the question I ask myself is "what would a new book on RSI have to be like for me to add it to all the stuff that's already out there?"I got the answer to that when I read "It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! RSI Theory and Therapy for Computer Professionals", by Suparna Damany, MSPT and Jack Bellis. This book easily makes the "must read" category: in fact, in my opinion it makes it to the "if-you-only-get-one-book-on-RSI- get-this-one" category, although I don't think anything totally bumps Pascarelli and Quilter out of the number one spot. What I've said of P & Q, I say of this book: every computer professional needs to read it.What's so great, other than the intriguing title? To begin, this book is a "second generation" work on RSI. That is, it draws on the literature, experiences, and discussions of patients and health care professionals who have been dealing with computer-related injuries over the past decade. As I read it I felt like I had a summation of almost everything I've ever read on the SOREHAND e-mail list regarding causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention, edited and well-presented in 230 pages. The authors' sources are discussed and presented *within the main text of the book* instead of in an appendix: and the authors' boldness in their convictions and suggestions is balanced by their strong encouragement to consult these other sources. Much of earlier RSI discussion and literature has tended to be cautious about ascribing causes and prescribing remedies, on the basis that people differ in their physiques, environment, activities, etc. Damany and Bellis shake off this caution, pointing out that there is so much that serious computer users have in common that distracting people with incipient RSI with too many options, some of them unlikely, may delay the action that needs to be taken. They do urge professional medical intervention for people with stage 2 RSI (defined in their book) but say that people with any trouble can immediately start addressing the root causes and draw from what has been learned to be true of the great majority of RSI sufferers.Damany and Bellis are candid: they speak of "our theory" of RSI and instead of standing on authority are clear that what they present is how they believe RSI happens. They have done an excellent job at distinguishing root causes ; initial results; secondary results that become causes; and ultimate results in the painful circle of cumulative trauma injuries. They point out how discussions dealing with RSI, and treatment approaches to it, frequently ar

Important Buy for *ALL* Computer Users

As a computer professional for the last 15 years or so I have come to understand, first hand, the concepts presented in this book. Presented here is a method to repair and prevent damage caused by repetitive strain injuries in the work place that involves no drugs or surgery! This book is a must read for anyone who works with computers on a regular basis, whether they are currently feeling painful symptoms or not. The simple stretching and ergonomic suggestions in the book will help keep the strain injuries away, and the comprehensive diagrams for self administering many of the muscle based massage technics can be quite helpful to those with pain who do not have the time for regular Physical Therapy visits for similar or even less effective treatments. Once the pain is gone, the previous ergonomic and stretching methods can be used to help keep one relatively pain free depending. of course on one's future vigilance. As someone who relies solidly on my hands and ability to perform detailed work each day for my profession and my hobbies, this book is a godsend. When my own painful symptoms began appearing, my fears of surgery and possible loss of mobility were left behind by this new method to resolve problems that many computer users face. To go one step even further, It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is written in language that does not require a medical degree to understand and gain benefit from it. Did I mention that no surgery is involved? :) All in all an excellent resource.