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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

My poor arthritic hands!!!

Posted By: Inali on 2007-03-22
In Reply to: biggest complaint - gotcoffee

I'm 25 years old. Since I have been doing transcription, roughly 2 years now, I have developed the following symptoms:

1. Migraine headaches/eye strains.
2. Carpal tunnel syndrome in BOTH wrists.
3. Severe upper back, neck, and shoulder tension.
4. Arthritis in my fingers on both hands.
5. I'm beginning to develop kyphosis.
6. Bad posture, which aggravates my IBS.
7. Shortness of breath due to lack of movement during the day, although I can only blame myself for that one.
8. A weird mass on my outer palm and inner thumb due to holding my mouse pen all day.

And people say being an MT is easy! :P Granted, I'm also an artist and a writer. After I'm done with work, I'm otherwise typing even more, sculpting, painting, drawing, digitally coloring, or sewing, so that is all rough on my poor hands as well.


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I MEAN *lessen* - arthritic fingers let me down....
:(
poor, poor management
Line count stealing, no help, rude management, you name it SS has it if it is bad!!!!!!! Run, run, save your life.
hands down by the....

LINE!!


I am currently getting paid per report on one acct and per line on another and hands down...per line always adds up to more money.


From years of experience, there is at least one MT that will tend to skip the longer reports when being paid by the report - if this weren't the case then it might be about the same but just from years of experience it seems there is always one bad apple in the bunch that spoils it for the rest.


When being paid per line, at least when they skip reports they don't want to do - it just means more lines for me and more $$$.


Hands

Does anyone else have problems with puffy, stiff hands during the hot weather.  Never bother me in the cold but this heat kills my speed and accuracy.  Anybody have any home remedies that helps.   I feel like the Pillsbury Dough boy with regards to my fingers and hands.   Please don't tell me it is old age setting in. 


Thanks.  


Hands
I tried Glucosamine with chondtritin and it did not help with any of my aches.  But then I was told by a chiropractor to try MSM Glucosamine after I was T-boned and had terrible hip and buttock problems.  Tried 2 to 4 did not help much and gave up -- I give up easily.  But the past several months tried again at 2 twice a day and after a couple of days it helped not only with my hip but my hands have not ached all summer/fall now.  Really helped and I now take only 2 or so and not every day.  Vioxx also helped but they took that off the market.  But this helps tremendously.  But you should check to see if by chance you have Raynaud's or something in your hands or low thyroid.    Good luck.  
is there something i can use to help my hands....
to be smoother. i have been using baby powder, but have already went through 2 keyboards...is there a transcription something i can buy? also, how about my hands freezing....what can i do about that?
Female..hands down !


I swear, every account I've ever worked had one problem dictator.. always female !  One REFUSED to use macros, even on normals.. and she would always make sure she made every report unique, so that we couldn't sneak away with using a macro for her.  Another one spoke a hundred miles a minute.  I remember my first day with her.  She said something several times in her reports and I went crazy trying to figure it out.... lumbar spine ??  supine ??  Turns out she was saying "skip a line" !!  


 


Obviously not for his face, but maybe his hands?
x
Hands On Transcription
Does anyone have any info on Hands On Transcription?  They say they pay daily.  Thanks
not sure what you are looking for exactly but for my aching hands sm
i have a mixture i make. it leaves your hands for soft and smooth and feels great too. take table salt and mix in essential oil. i love to use peppermint as it leaves a "cooling sensation" afterwards. just mix it until the salt is moist, not drowned. rub it is (preferably over the sink as it will make a mess), rub deeply or massage and it feels great. then rinse hands with warm water and it leaves your hands so soft and feeling great as the oil is left on your hands.
hang on with both hands - and don't let go

some swear by, but I think my hands are too big.

Voc. Rehab. let me try one out when they were helping me get my ergonomics together, and I knew right away I could never get used to it.  I have rather "fat" fingers, though, and I think that was part of it.  If you have longer, thinner fingers, it might be right up your alley. 


You can rent one (which can then be applied to the purchase price, I think?) for awhile from this site to try it out, rather than outright buying it.


http://www.sforh.com/keyboards/kinesis.html


http://www.keyalt.com/kkeybrdp.htm


 


 


 


hands down..hourly

Hands down, if I had to pick one, my best
resource for medical terms is The Surgical Word Book. Boy that book is awesome. For meds, Quick Look Drug Book is The One! Online, the only site I really frequent is Dr. 411. Now, most of my coworkers are going to know who I am, as I am always singing the praises of these!! Oh well. It won't be any surprise to them how miserable I am at work - we all are.
I am MT/ME and ME is easier on the hands...

I love ASR (automated speech recognition) aka editing as it's easier on the hands for some (me!!).  It does pay 20% less per line but I'm very fast with editing.  I like it a lot but to each his/her own opinion on it.


Good luck!!


Insuring hands??
I apologize if this sounds foolish but has anyone ever heard of a Transcriptionist insuring their hands in case they were in an auto accident, etc?? Is it even possible??
Cold hands
Does anyone else have freezing hands as they type?  It's worse of course in the colder weather.  Are there any gloves or similar products out there that we can wear while we type?  Any ideas are appreciated!  I freeze all the time, in warm weather or cold, but my  hands are what I need to be warm to keep transcribing.  I need a space heater that doesn't cause my electric bill to go sky high, but haven't found one of those either.
My hands are always cold too.
I have seen gloves with the fingertips cut out, but do not know how comfy they would be to type with.

I sit with a heating pad on my back cause I have arthritis in my hip and when my hands get cold I just put them behind my back to warm them up.

There are also those heat packs you can squeeze or rub together to warm up your hands.

You would think after typing and typing our hands would stay warm with all this exercise, but NO.

Keep Warm.
Warm Hands
Or how about a heated wrist pad for in front of your keyboard?
http://www.raynauds.org/offers/ThermalRest.cfm
Vonage the best hands down! I never
have trouble with them, either service or billing. No hidden charges, no monthly surprises. My bill is $32 every month for unlimited LD, plus I love their voice mail features, being able to access calls and messagers on line, their privacy settings - all calls can go right to voice mail if you want, etc. They are a miracle to me. Verizon, on the other hand, were skunks to me - my bill was always a nightmare each month, and though I had every Freedom Plan available, it was always a 3-digit bill. Service was great - billing was not.
When your hands feel like they are

going to fall off and your arms are killing you, what do you do/use to keep them going full speed for another 8 hours?


Nothing pill-wise though...that has already been done.


I'd like them for when I have cold hands

wonder if they would work for that...


I have had cold hands lately
and I tried buying some little stretch gloves and cut the fingers out, but I found in the Sunday paper an add for Miracle Therapy Gloves that supposedly reflect body heat. I was going to order them and try them. They do have a web site it's called www.DreamProductsCatalog.com
cold hands
My hands get so cold in my office that it's difficult to type.  They're stiff from being cold.  Any suggestions for a type of warming glove that wouldn't be cumbersome while typing?
what I did for my cold hands

I bought a duel-headed lamp with adjustable necks (kind of like the 50's space-age atomic style).  I have it on my desk in front of the keyboard with a lamp head bent over and trained on each hand as I type.  The warmth is wonderful, and it doesn't get in my way at all.  And you can move them up a little if your hands get too warm.  No cumbersome gloves that will slow your speed and accuracy down.


stiffness in hands
At 40, you could be premenopausal. I know it sounds early but some women are. You might try getting some progesterone cream OTC and rubbing it into your hands. It's touted to help just about all that ails bones, joints, tiredness or anxiety. Just a thought.
Radiology, hands down.
x
Hands-On Transcription Company
Anyone have any information on Hands-On Transcription Company?  Information appreciated.  MK
I have Raynaud's, so I know all about cold hands.
Raynaud's is a fairly common circulatory problem of the capillaries of the fingers and toes. When your hands are cold, look for distal portions of digits that are white compared to the rest of the hand. Treatment for Raynaud's is keeping hands warm. Wear mittens when it is 50 degrees or below. Don't use bare hands in frozen foods.

Transcriptionists who want to protect their precious median nerves AND keep their hands warm use these gloves:

www.softflex.com

You may actually type faster with them - I do.

Another option is to keep a heating pad on your lap as you work. That's what my dad's secretary used to do in Wisconsin.
im needing it to make my hands
run smooht across the keys, becuase they tend to sweat.  lotion makes them greasy and sticky on the keys.
its not for moisture or dry cracked hands.....
its to help my hands run smoother, faster across my keyboard. try putting some baby powder on your hands and tehn type for a minute. your hands will go so fast you wont be able to keep up.
Sean Connery Hands down
nm
Joaquin Phoenix...hands down - nm

Keep your hands warm! Even if it means your (s/m)
body temperature feels a little too warm, better that than cold hands. Athletes don't do their thing with cold muscles and joints - if they do they risk injury. Same goes for the muscles and joints in your hands and wrists.

If that fails, I get pretty good relief with Aleve.
Absolutely, hands down, do not miss...
Cirque DE soleil's newest show "Love."  Absolutely astounding.  Incredible show.  It just opened at the end of June, and we saw it the 2nd week in July.  take a look: 
my opinion is that VR is easier on hands...nm
.
That's what I've been doing, but sometimes my hands are like ice and it takes more than the fe
seconds I have in between reports to really get them warmed up.  Thanks for all the great suggestions to everyone.  I wish there was a store that I could go to and just try on all the different gloves!  I'm very persnickety when I'm typing.  My comfort level must be as near perfect as I can get it and if my gloves are too tight or too itchy, I'll be distracted.  I guess I'll hang onto my heating pad for now until I decide.
No...I actually love VR/ASR...easy on my hands
.
Talk about too much time on your hands
I never said I watch Judge Judy every day. I said I watch her. Big difference. Never said Judy is always right either.

Cool your jets lady. Said that Sylvia stuck her foot in her mouth. Not the first time she has done it and probably won't be the last either.

Never said anything against her spirituality but I do think she needs to be very careful with the things she tells people that come to her for guidance. Some people take her word for gospel and that could be a very dangerous thing.

Spiritual guidance and words of wisdom aside, her so called psychic ability is very questionable.

If you believe in her "powers" then so be it, not for me to say, but it isn't for you to say anything about what I do or do not believe in either.
The ball is completely in your hands . .
I don't blame you at all for being frustrated. Someone with experience would have been the wiser choice. This girl is getting an incredible opportunity. All her work will have to be gone over. She will not be able to work on her own for quite some time. We have two new girls in our office who just finished their courses (not a home course for Pete's sake), but we knew what we were getting into. I don't think you need to go to the doctor. If you do not want to be her mentor it will not work out. Otherwise, give it your best. It's going to require a lot of patience on your part. Good luck
I would do it just to save my hands from further abuse! nm
nm
Show of Hands, Who Cares?

I think you belong on the "other" board.  They love to look/talk down to people there.


Taken courses, but not much hands-on experience as of yet. n/m
m
I'm not wringing my hands. I'm trying to be proactive.
x
I haven't had both hands, but I had on my right hand
and I am right-handed.  I was back to normal activity as soon as the stitches were out at about 12 days. 
not good for your mind or hands,
i would highly recommend an ergo board such as the kinesis if you continue with the same company.
Yes. Are your hands in a neutral position, in an
x
I'll take your clients off your hands (sm)
Anytime you feel like getting rid of your pain in the butt clients, let me know.  I don't mind dealing with office staff, going above and beyond and giving extra.  I'm serious, I'd rather deal with the client's whims and wants than deal with the nationals anyday.
Syllable Swallowers, hands down....
My very least favorites, although not really an accident but a habit, are the ones who 'swallow' a few syllables at the beginning and/or end of their sentences. It makes it nearly impossible to decipher what they might be saying and just really an annoying habit on the dictator's part.

I'll take an ESL over a 'gulper' any time.


Poor MT
Hi, Friend! Why do you assume all MTs are ladies? Isn't that a bit sexist? That aside, you should be the one who sets your rates. Do so in a very businesslike way. If they can't (or won't) afford you services, move on to someone who can. Good luck! Tom
Your Poor Son
I'm sorry that your son has to endure so much pain after what his father decided to try. I hope he doesn't have any further problems. My daughter had a very large plantar wart last year and had to get it burned off at the doctor's office. Thankfully it hasn't recurred. My neighbor's young daughter just had one and because of her age, the doctor told her to put duct tape on it. I thought it sounded really crazy, but it worked. It brought it right up to the surface after about a week. She would use an emory board to file off the dead skin around it and then she applied the one of those medicated pads on it for a few days and it popped right off.