Hi
After a week of intense flying and 3d mapping of neolithic sites in Wales with my Mavic Pro and SCI had a shooting pain in the end of my left thumb. I t happened whilst driving and felt like some kind of sprain.
I have it in a splint now and had to cancel my CoC exam.
Anyone else experience hand problems or repetitive strain injuries from flying their drones?
I’d love to have the opportunities to go out flying often enough to to be at risk of RSI in my thumbs! In a way I’m actually jealous… 
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What’s holding you back?
Work and home life! looking after kids, chores, school runs, and feeling bad about running off and leaving my wife at home with stuff to do (there’s always stuff to do!) for three hours or so at a time - about the minimum to drive somewhere reasonably photogenic that I haven’t already filmed to death, fly, and drive home again. Or I could ask her to come along and stand around on a cold hillside for an hour whilst I fly my drone at ungodly hours! The best light means getting out whilst it’s still dark and getting somewhere for sunrise. Or sunset and being late back. She’s actually very understanding about my going off for the occasional drone fly, but I just feel bad about going off to have fun on my own!
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I feel most may be in the same situation.?
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I’m sorry my question is a bit off your post but would you recommend anyone/anything to start learning 3D mapping? Thank you 
Suggest you fire up a new thread for that question @Arthur as 1) people won’t see it buried in here and 2) as you suggest, it’ll take this thread wildly off topic.
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I’m sure you’re probably right! It’s probably a balance for most of us. A happy life is about learning to live with compromises…
Hi
dont underestimate RSI from using joy sticks … I get it when flying RC aircraft especially when I do not realise how tense I get when do loops and rolls etc.
I used to write and sell computer games and had to stop playing/testing them because of RSI. The danger is if you carry on through the pain you can cause damage that can take months to recover from. If you feel tension (or worse; my thumbs used to just stop working!) you likely should have actually stopped quite a while before.
If you get to the state when your thumbs literally lock on you the worse that happens in a computer game is the aliens will get you !! Flying a drone (or a RC plane or helicopter) and that happening is much more serious.
If in doubt check with your GP. For sure dont carry on through the pain.
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Hi. Thanks. Good to hear from someone else who’s experienced this problem. I’m still getting shooting pains through the pad of my thumb.
I’ve had to cancel my volunteer Graphics And music production work on the computer which involves extended use of keyboard shortcuts using the left hand. I spoke to my neighbour yesterday who told me he got it from playing xbox.
I was really using the sticks hard practicing flying circles for the CoC test and mapping Neolithic sites for a week in Wales. It started while I was driving after getting back from Wales and the day before the exam. I felt a shooting pain in my thumb pad and I felt like it was spraining down through the tendons. I’ve been wearing a splint on and off and using cream from the doctor but I haven’t been resting it enough because I thought it would go away. Now 4 weeks later it hasn’t improved. I am a musician and artist so I really need it to heal. I really will have to take it More seriously but it’s hard as everything I do involves using it. Very grateful for your advice.