Description

This article is from the General Pinball FAQ, by Keith Johnson keefer@access.digex.net with numerous contributions by others.

9.3 - So how do I know if I'm getting CTS? (Pinball and Your Health)

From a simple test you can do by yourself (or with a friend's help). With
the suspect hand, hold your thumb and pinky together as tightly as you can.
With your other hand (or have your friend do it), use the index finger to try
and break the hold of your thumb and pinky. When your hands are healthy, it
will be extremely difficult to break the hold. One of the first signs of
CTS, though, is that this hold is extremely weak (so much so that a small
child could probably break the hold as well).

This doesn't mean that you have CTS. What it does mean is that if you
continue the activity causing the pain (and sometimes numbness) in your hand,
you are at high risk of getting CTS, and should immediately take steps to
avoid it. As noted above, using padded gloves while you play seems to do the
trick. People may laugh or make comments to you, but hey - they're your
hands, and you'd probably like to keep the use of them, right?

-- Thanks to Dave Stewart <dstewart@eng.umd.edu> for information.

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