I had pain in my right hand, that I fixed with trigger point therapy.
Using a mouse, typing, or using an iPad all made the top of my right hand hurt and feel very tired.
The trigger point therapist pushed on a few points in my forearm. When pressed, I could feel tension in the usual spots on my right hand.
Having found the right spots, the therapist simply pushed on them really, really hard, and maintained the pressure. It hurt, but immediately afterwards my hand was useable for everything except the iPad.
I went in for another session a few months later, he found another small spot that again referred pain to my hand, and after that session I could use my iPad normally.
It's a year later, and I'm totally pain free. If you have an insurance plan that covers trigger point therapy (most likely under "massage"), you should definitely try it.
Note: It can be hard to find a good practitioner. I'm not talking about deep tissue massage. Trigger point therapy is sustained applied pressure more than massage. The technique should hurt if it's being done properly, but the results are worth it.
Trigger point therapy has made a world of difference for me, too, both for RSI and for neck problems due to and old motorcycle accident. Check this out:
I was first introduced to it by a physiatrist (no, not psychiatrist), which is a real MD. They had a team of essentially physical therapists that worked on trigger points. Even if your insurance doesn't cover massage, most will cover visits to such places, since it's under the care of a doctor.
Also useful is a theracane. Lets you self-massage and apply trigger point therapy to your back and other hard to reach areas. Not too expensive either, only $40. It helped clear up a tight trapezius muscle which was causing a shoulder ache.
Yeah, the Theracane is pretty good. My favorite gadget for forearm trouble is the ArmAid: http://armaid.com/ It's very good for kneading your forearm extensors and flexors. When my forearms get tight, a few sessions with this usually fixes it.
I never use the leg strap, personally, though I can imagine that, if your hands are in bad shape, it would reduce the force needed to hold it in place.
It's actually also really good for kneading your calves for people like me that have perpetual trigger points there. It's a bit undersized, so I've been meaning to email them and suggest they make a "LegAid" that's larger and more robust...
Using a mouse, typing, or using an iPad all made the top of my right hand hurt and feel very tired.
The trigger point therapist pushed on a few points in my forearm. When pressed, I could feel tension in the usual spots on my right hand.
Having found the right spots, the therapist simply pushed on them really, really hard, and maintained the pressure. It hurt, but immediately afterwards my hand was useable for everything except the iPad.
I went in for another session a few months later, he found another small spot that again referred pain to my hand, and after that session I could use my iPad normally.
It's a year later, and I'm totally pain free. If you have an insurance plan that covers trigger point therapy (most likely under "massage"), you should definitely try it.
Note: It can be hard to find a good practitioner. I'm not talking about deep tissue massage. Trigger point therapy is sustained applied pressure more than massage. The technique should hurt if it's being done properly, but the results are worth it.