RSI - Handeze gloves

[Roz Ault - User Support Technology - ext 377 <AULT -at- FAXON -dot- COM>]

I'm coming back to the list after some time away, so
my apologies if this was mentioned before.

In the context of the discussion on RSI and carpal
tunnel, I wanted to suggest that any sufferers check
out the Handeze gloves, from the Dome corporation. I
was having wrist and arm pain a few years ago, and
found these gloves very helpful. I learned about
them from Adam Engst's TidBITS mailing list, an
email newsletter for Mac users. (Excerpt and
reference below.)

Another thing that has helped me (but I think this
only works on a Mac) is to use both a mouse and a
trackball. I put the mouse on the right of the
keyboard and the trackball on the left. This allows
me to switch back and forth and avoid wear and tear
on only one hand. I also have one of the buttons on
my Kensington TurboMouse trackball programmed for
the Return key, to avoid what was for me a common repetitive
motion between the trackball and the keyboard.

Handeze gloves article, from TidBITS 199/25-Oct-1993
To read the full text go to www.tidbits.com and search on GLOVES

  ... As many of you know, I suffer from a mild case of
  carpal tunnel syndrome....[S]ome people have
  wondered how I managed to write a book without
  seriously damaging my hands. It's a good question,
  and in fact, I can say that my pain level has
  declined since I started the final chunks of the
  book after Macworld Boston. How? The Handeze gloves.

  These $20 finger-less gloves are made from stretch
  Lycra subjected to a special process called
  "Med-A-Likra" that expands the individual fibers in
  a thread, thus reducing the space between threads
  and working better to hold body heat. The cuffs are
  double-layer Lycra and help keep the hand in a
  neutral position while allowing flexibility, unlike
  wrist braces. The strangest part of the gloves is
  that they only have four holes for the fingers - the
  middle finger and ring finger share an opening. I
  don't know the rationale for that design....

  The New England Therapeutic Research Group designed
  the gloves to help relieve pain in three specific
  ways - by providing warmth, support, and massage. I
  have poor circulation in my hands and feet so
  they're frequently cold. The gloves help warm my
  hands, although my fingers still get somewhat cold.
  The support makes sense - the gloves are
  form-fitting down to the Lycra cuffs, so you have to
  order the right size for your hands. In theory, the
  Lycra material massages your hands, although I'm not
  so sure about that. I suppose that the stretchy
  Lycra pulls on different parts of your hand as you
  move your fingers, so I guess that could count as
  massage.

  I don't even play a doctor on the nets, but here's
  my devil's advocate analysis of those claims. As far
  as I'm aware, much current medical thought indicates
  that cold is better than heat for helping healing,
  no matter how much better heat may feel temporarily.
  Support too is nice, especially the way the gloves
  encourage your hands to remain in a neutral
  position, but compression could reduce blood flow to
  the hands, and blood flow is necessary to promote
  healing. Finally although there's seldom a problem
  with massage, it isn't obvious how the gloves manage
  to massage your hands.

  In the final evaluation, I can't say precisely why
  they work, although I can tell you that I seldom
  even touch the keyboard without them, and I like
  wearing them driving as well. They're cheap at about
  $20, and even if they don't work for you (I have no
  idea what the necessary variable for success might
  be), if you're experiencing hand and wrist pain, I
  think it's worth trying the Handeze gloves. As soon
  as you compare that $20 with the cost of disability,
  physical therapy, or even surgery, it shrinks
  rapidly. Do note that wearing the gloves doesn't
  allow you to otherwise abuse your body by not taking
  breaks or working in a destructive position,
  ergonomically speaking. ...

  Dome -- 800/432-4352


- Roz Ault
  ault -at- faxon -dot- com

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