Aug 11

CubitalTunnelLogo I was diagnosed with cubital tunnel syndrome 3 years ago.  My symptoms were considered "moderate": measurable loss of nerve conduction, moderate to severe pain at times, slight numbness, some weakness, but no atrophy.  I had been attempting conservative treatment, including wearing a splint at night, wrist brace during the day, exercises, special computer keyboard and mouse, and pain medication. 

But the pain wouldn’t go away, especially while using the computer, which is my job as a software developer.  So my doctor finally decided it was time for surgery, and given that my symptoms were not yet severe, he recommended ulnar decompression surgery.  This article describes my experience with ulnar decompression surgery for cubital tunnel syndrome.

Read the rest of this article at Cubital-Tunnel.com

Image: "Cubital Thinker" Copyright © 2008 Tiwebb, Ltd.

Apr 08

Cubital tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a repetitive stress injury (RSI) that can result in moderate to severe pain and numbness in the elbow and ring & little fingers. Last year I wrote the article “Programmer’s Nightmare: Cubital Tunnel Syndrome” about my pain and struggles with CTS and how it threatens my programming career.

As people started commenting on the article, a small community developed. I was impressed at how people would share their CTS tips and experiences, commiserate with each other’s pain, and genuinely care about one another.

So with the help of Tim Perez, we built cubital-tunnel.com, a site dedicated to CTS that includes an online community where people can share and discuss their cubital tunnel challenges and successes.

Please visit cubital-tunnel.com

Aug 02

Update: We have launched a new website and forums dedicated to people with cubital tunnel syndrome: www.cubital-tunnel.com

No programmers were harmed during development of this article.

(Not true… my cubital hurts like mad today!)

A programming career is supposed to offer advantages such as longevity and limited physical risk. Unlike an athlete or blue-collar worker whose livelihood depends on physical ability and can be cut short by injury or aging, most programmers should expect to work right up until retirement, as long as they can raise donut to mouth. But a nasty secret in the software industry is how repetitive stress injuries including carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel syndrome can make programming a literal pain and threaten your career.

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Apr 24

The default WordPress blog title “Hello, World” seems appropriate for the debut article of a software development blog, so I’ve decided to keep it.

I never thought I would write a blog.  Adding to the 175,000 new blogs on the Web each day didn’t seem like a worthwhile endeavor.  What could I possibly say that hasn’t already been said?  But then I realized that at least once a day I learn a new tip or trick that could possibly benefit someone else.  Many times I’ve found the answer to a tough problem from some generous soul on the Web, so I wish to repay the favor.  Plus I suppose I have a story to tell that software developers and entrepreneurs may find educational, if not entertaining.

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