We'll see | Matt Zimmerman

Well, maybe not the knives.  I visited an acupuncturist today, in the latest scouting mission in my campaign against RSI.  I’ve experienced chronic pain and discomfort in my arms and wrists for years now, and have tried various other types of physical therapy, but this was my first of this type.

I spent most of the session talking with the practitioner, explaining the history of my symptoms.  She was emphatic that I seek to fix the problem at its root by correcting the ergonomics of my workstations.  This is clearly necessary, but in spite of several rounds of experimentation I have not been able to solve it on my own yet.  Thankfully, she was able to recommend a colleague who specializes in this particular area of ergonomics, and I’ll see what comes of that.

The acupuncture treatment itself was a very curious affair.  The sensation of a needle penetrating the thick band of tension in my arm muscles was quite unfamiliar and difficult to describe.  It felt almost as if something were pressing hard on the entire length of the muscle.

It does seem to have relieved some of the tension, and I’m interested to see the effect of repeated treatments.  I’m also left with a curious feeling of lightness which lasted the entire 20-minute walk home.  It was a little bit like having ingested caffeine.

My question of the evening: How long before we have input devices of comparable speed and accuracy which don’t abuse our bodies so?