The Business of Software

This might be a strange topic, but wanted to add this to the discussion, if this helps anyone.

Many of us have been developing for many years and have been working long hours. The result can be some physical problems that are long lasting. I have started to have some problems myself in my back and especially neck. Some of you may have carpal tunnel in your hands, as well.

I used to work for an IT services firm years ago. Like many of you, I played the "rock star" role, and worked very very long hours for this company, and in the end, helped bring this company out of the red and into the black. We had a lot of successful website implementations externally and internally. But the end result was for me the start of a pinched nerve in my neck. As I was young, I continued to push my body beyond the breaking point and continued the long hours on many new projects internally for this company, as well as private work for myself and friends on off hours. End result was not good. I ended up developing serious nerve issues in my neck and head, and eventually some other worse symptoms like vertigo and hearing issues. As the years went on, these evolved into neck and back alignment problems. Today, Im getting help and much healthier, but some neck problems are permanent. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this being a developer?

Since many of us are now running businesses, often, in addition to other employment, this means really really long hours behind the screen. This eventually can take its toll on your eyes, hands and back. For me, its been all neck. My advice is based on my experience. It is the following:

1. Make sure your chair is the right height. If its too high or low, your neck is twisted in a position, that after thousands of hours, will eventually cause sublexation and pinch a nerve or create an arthritis type situation long term. Good seating position is really important
2. Avoid long hours and take breaks. Ive found thats my main problem. Im the type of developer that prefers 8-12 hour stretches solid. Bad idea. Then you combine that with more sitting in a car or train, and you have your neck and back muscles pretty much exausted. I now take a 2 hour break every 4 hours, which helps.
3. See a chiropractor about alignment issues and get them regularly adjusted. Thats helped me. I tried the nuerologist and that was no help at all.
4. Strengthening exercises - this is by far the best help of all. Just one session a day strengthing or working out with weights will allow your muscles to hold positions for much longer periods, Ive found.

However, even when I was bulked up as a young guy, I still had the neck pain. The key again is combining the strength with good work environments and sitting position tied to alignment fixes. If you are yong and starting out in this field, be careful. It can happen to you. Start looking at these things now. Best advice I wish I had starting out as a developer would be, however, dont sell your soul to any corporation. Dont be the rockstar or IT superstar. It isnt worth it! Long after you get the company awards or bonuses or promotions, in the end, no company cares about you or your health. Working long hours or after hours for someone for free also doesnt pay in the end if you lose your health. It isnt worth it. Only give your 8 hours  at work then leave and go do something away from the computer for yourself everyday! If its your business, taht sacrifice is more real. But not if you are salaried. Dont do it. If the CEO or your manager asks you to work long hours, regardless of incentives, I say start looking for another job.

Your health is worth more than all the money and careers and rewards out there.

It's a bit odd to see such topic on this forum, but I can confirm that there is definitely a risk of getting hurt working extra hours and under stress for a long time. Few years ago I had to quit one of the projects when I've realized that if I won't quit, I'll find myself in a psycho clinic. I did, and only then I've realized how much I've run myself into the ground (almost). When you run like a rat you don't realize that you body is screaming for help. Several months of rest reveled that there are actually some problems with upper back and the neck which I didn't notice in a rush years. Not serious, but definitely the result of work. I switched my life style completely since then, now I only sit in front of the monitor as less as possible, doing large portion of work on the go (in the swimming pool, during walks, on the beach) and only using monitor/keyboard for registering and implementing ideas. When it comes to coding, I think three times before hitting the key strokes, this helps to stay away from the screen. I would recommend this guy's technique
http://www.feldenkrais-online.biz/
instead of chiropractors and neurologists, which in my case turned to be either charlatans or completely hopeless.

Agree 1000%. I damaged my hands. My forearms and fingers hurt pretty much all the time and is purely due to excessive keyboard work. It is not carpal tunnel, but simple over use in last 20-25 years.

I estimate that I have put equivalent of about 50-75 years of normal developer work on my hands. I was easily outputting 2-5 times more than any developer in any place I worked for. Plus, I worked after hours on my business, which now I am running 100% with damaged hands.

I tried everything, but nothing helps except stopping typing. Stopping typing for a week makes pain go away 100%. Start typing and it is back in 2-3 days....

I doubt that anything can be done and no doctor was able to help. Too much strain on my hands and they are permanently damaged.

What I would advise to anyone in this business is following and it is from my painful, painful experience:

1. Learn ergonomics and obey them.

2. Get best ergonomic keyboard and easiest keyboard on hands you can find.

3. Rest for 10 minutes every single hour at least.

4. Quit after 5 hours of typing. Find something else to do instead of typing. Enough is enough.

5. Start strengthening exercise for your hands and back immediately and keep it up.

6. Stretch your hands and back every hour no exceptions.

7. Get best ergonomic chair that is available.

I can guarantee that if I had followed these things I would not be in position I am in right now. As it is, I have no clue how long I will be able to type and I have at least 20 years before retirement. Think about it!

All good advice, with the exception of course of seeing a chiropractor.

See http://www.chirobase.org/

Better to see a proper health professional instead of a quack. A physical therapist, for example.

Sorry to hear Blocky. Let's hope you sell for 20 million and can relax soon!

Interesting topic for me as I was contracted to make a Windows and OS X application for this sort of issue. Upper body Musculoskeletal problems.

The app has 15 video guided medical tests and 100 video guided prevention and rehab video guided exercises. Did a blue screen and placed Mediterranean locations behind the model, etc etc. Work of love and the job kept me going for a while.

 The app is almost finished, it needs a small amount of rehab itself,  but we reached a stage where investor cash was required.  Such funding sources disappeared recently with the financial crisis. As I said, it's "almost there" and a shame if never funded.

I spent a lot of time and put my mind and back into this one, wish it could be picked up again. I believe in it. Just need a few months more work. Breaks my heart that the Doc never got the funding needed.

http://www.einspine.com

No doubt that spending long hours at a computer can undermine your health. The point is to have regular rest before you get tired:
http://www.eyestraincare.com

About 6 years ago, I woke up and could barely move my arm because of muscle spasms from my neck down to my shoulder blade. Standing in front of the mirror, I could see my right shoulder was 1-2 inches higher than my left.

I went to a chiropractor for 2 months to get straightened out. It didn't help me at all.

Finally I went to a doctor, and he set me up with a physical therapist. After just a few weeks of exercises, stretching, and "nerve flossing" I was back to feeling good again. For prevention, I learned than the key thing (other than posture) is keeping your trapezoids toned.

One last thing - if you ever have a chance to get therapeutic ultrasound, go for it. It melts muscle spasms like butter.

If you haven't been doing strength training for years start slow. This is what I did a few months ago, and its working out well so far. All you need is resistance bands (resistance tube) and 10 minutes a day.

There are about 7 muscle groups, that need exercise. Twice a week. Each exercise is "2 sets" of usually "10 repetitions" it takes about 2-3 minutes per muscle group. So, if you do a 2-3 minutes warm-up, and 2 muscle groups every day, then 10 minutes a day will give you enough exercise for each muscle group 2 times a week (not enough for athletes, but will probably keep you healthy).

To start slow => you can start with what CDC recommends for older adults (Even if you are young). start with both, stage 1 & 2, and in a few weeks, switch to Stage 3. Once exercises for older adults start looking easy, you can switch to stronger ones.

Start - first few weeks:
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/growingstronger/exercises/index.html

After 1-2 months:
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html

You can pick some routines from this video (all exercises, which requires weight, can be replaced with resistance bands, as shown in this video):
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-317658912039056843&ei=yNN-SoPmCM-mlQf3-Li2Bw&q=strenght+training+at+home&hl=en

Again - the goal is - pick 2-3 exercises for every day of the week, and do them after a 2 minute warm up every day. All you need is => 10 minutes a day to keep yourself healthy. Don't even need to got to gym (if you can do that, its always better to do it with a trainer).

Thanks for your kind advice.

I would like to add that working on a laptop for long hours injures your neck and back at much faster rate. I have experienced it.

Thanks.

I have also heard that sitting on an exercise ball while you work puts lets stress on your spine and enables the core stregthening needed to keep your lower back in check or to help heal backs that currently have issues. I am alternating between chair and exercise ball.

Also, I am considering a height adjustable desk so I can both stand and sit while I work.

This is definitely an area that developers should take seriously. It creeps up on you and can get quite bad before you notice it. It can ruin careers. Imagine having to use voice activation because it is too painful to type.

A couple of related posts:

http://successfulsoftware.net/2008/10/26/7-ways-to-be-a-healthier-programmer/

http://successfulsoftware.net/2008/12/09/progamming-with-your-feet/

Stormy,

Thanks very much for your post! Neck and back pain is the Black Lung disease in our industry. On a company level if you have employees or contractors you should explicitly tell them -repeatedly- that you want them to take this seriously. On a personal level, you need to treat this with respect: prevention is a hell of a lot easier than clawing your way back.

On a very personal level, I've been coping with a pinched neck nerve the past 3 months. Turn my head to the left and my left arm goes numb from the fingertips (which always now tingle) to my shoulder. Not fun. Nor will the Cortisone Injection to my neck I'm waiting for be fun. Not fun in the least.

I know it's easy to blow "old guys" like me off when you're in your 20s. Don't: show us you're smarter and learn from our mistakes.

One more good link that I want to drop here (some small steps for healthy lifestyle).

http://www.smallstep.gov/index.html

Bob,

have you tried physiotherapy? I was told I would need steroid injections for a shoulder problem I had a few years back. I went to see a physio and religiously did the exersizes she gave me. The problem went away.

I use http://www.workrave.org/welcome/ to take forced breaks. Following the suggested exercises helps as well.

What timing.  A week ago today, I woke up with lower back pain.  It progressed into brutal lower back pain and burning on my side that wrapped around to the font.  Went to the doc and the lower disc in my back is 1/3rd the size it's supposed to be.  Follow-up with the doc to go over the MRI this Friday and scheduling appointments with PT this week.  On top of that, took the pain killers prescribed on Friday and spent Saturday being sick from the pain killers.  Woot, good times.  Sigh.  Thanks for all the advice in this thread, it's time for me to take this very seriously.

-Eric

@Bob,

Your neck problem was one of the symptoms I had. Physical therapy is what did the trick for me, with therapeutic ultrasound providing the most immediate relief.

I've been using WorkRave for a couple days now, and I have to say I already feel better.

My hands have been hurting, and I've had pains in my back. And I'm 25, and only been doing coding for a year or so! The ergonomics of my desk/chair/etc are fine.
I just don't take breaks. Even to eat! (though sometimes I don't have food anyway... oh pitiful PhD stipends.)

Anyway, I've tried other RSI programs, and I like this one. Maybe it's simply because the pain has been getting worse, so *anything* I do would feel like a great improvement.

Thanks for the recommendation @enthusiast!

I just wanted to chime in also.  Since I responded to this on Monday, I've also started using workrave.  I have it set to take a micro break (1 minute) ever 20 minutes and a rest break (7 minutes) every hour.  I've coupled that with a 30-45 minute walk at lunch.  And today, I woke up pain free.  Seriously.  I still have a follow-up on my MRI tomorrow, and will probably end up with physical therapy and what-not, but I can't believe how much better I feel using workrave for a few days and following it's suggestions.  Thanks for the suggestion.

-Eric

Guys, this is why I love blogging here with you all....great advice and support.

I also am trying a few recommendations on here. Like many of you, after working very very hard 12 hours a day in this industry since 1999 without a break, it eventually caught up to me. Its serious stuff now and and a definate price I paid for trying to be too many things for too many people. Having neck pain, virtigo and hearing problems isnt fun to live with.

I now work a much slower day and pace on the computer. Hopefully with your suggestions, I can also recover like many of you describe. Will keep reading the comments too.....thanks