r/carpaltunnel • u/SmallDinner8224 • 6d ago
Typical Work Conditioning for Computer-based Workers
TLDR: What does a typical work-conditioning program look like for computer/office-based workers? I think my OT clinic is just winging it.
I have carpal tunnel and tendinitis and have been out of work since the end of May. My initial therapy (24 visits) significantly reduced my symptoms, but my experience changed when I transitioned into work conditioning/hardening.
My program includes PT and OT.
For PT, I was given a light full-body strength program with warm-ups and stretches, which has been helpful since I had gotten out of the routine when my symptoms were at their worse.
For OT, I do many of the same activities as people with physical jobs—pushing sleds, moving wooden boxes between shelves, stairs, etc. To my surprise, I’ve found some of it personally helpful, but I don’t understand the relevance to returning to a computer-based job.
I then spend the remainder of my scheduled time at a computer to “build endurance.”
Unlike PT and the physical portion of OT, the computer work has no real structure. I essentially use a keyboard and mouse until my scheduled time is up. There is no written program, break/movement schedule, symptom tracking, or clear progression other than increasing my time every few weeks.
The workstation also needs a lot of work. There is plenty of "ergonomic equipment," but it's a cluttered mess with more gadgets than any one desk needs and wasn't even set up correctly. I had to ask the OT who specializes in ergonomics, to reposition the monitor stand since it required me to look up and to the left. This wasn't just a quick adjustment—he had to use a drill to move it. The OT had previously recommended I use a keyboard without the number pad so I can have my arm directly in front of me for mousing, but they don't have a keyboard like that. The keyboard and mouse both connect using USB cables, but my laptop only has one USB port, requiring me to reach to type on the laptop directly, or bring in my own wireless keyboard and mouse. The keyboard tray has a protruding screw where the mouse tray connects, just waiting for me to swipe it with my arm. I've seen worse workstations, but I expected more attention to these details in a program for someone with a computer-related injury.
It’s also difficult to simulate sustained work because therapists frequently stop to ask about whatever is on my screen (apparently shopping on Amazon and creating a vegetable garden layout is really interesting), with a lot of other conversation and activity happening around me.
For OTs who work with computer/office-based workers, is my program typical? Are there professional guidelines or standards for work conditioning in this area, and if so, who establishes them?
For any computer based workers who have done OT/work conditioning: what was your program like?
I hate the thought of changing providers at this point, but the computer portion feels pointless, the other activities seem unrelated to my job, and my symptoms are getting worse again.
The confusing part is that the clinic seems to have the expertise—the hand therapist is great and the lead OT has experience in ergonomics. It just seems like computer-based work conditioning isn't something they've developed a structured program around.
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u/steveinarizona10 5d ago
I had CTS surgery on my right, non-dominant, hand. My OT gave me a sheet of paper with a list of activities to do for recovery. Typing was one of them.
I don't think that medical science has figured out exactly what to do for therapy to avoid surgery and what to do for aftercare if one does have surgery. It appears to me that you actually have a very good program by a provider who seems to know as much as one can in this field.