Preventing carpal tunnel

[ariastar]

I believe that a lot of us work at computers all day, and then go home and unwind by...playing on computers. But with such a high rate of carpal tunnel (and horrible surgical scars), what do you do to make sure you don't get carpal tunnel? What really can be done? How effective are the support things in helping? I'm going to talk to my mom tonight (nurse of many moons), but am also interested in what people here actually do and what advice you've all been told.

[tokenuser]

There is a reason why those squeezy ball things are popular swag at conferences - you are supposed to take a break and squeeze them every so often and move your wrists around.

There are two killers with carpal tunnel - the keyboard and the mouse. Many keyboards are OK these days - having a write rest that has the wrists restting on a surface that is on the same plane as the keys. If your keyboard doesn't have that dort of feature, then those gel pads are OK, but my issue with them is that the material rubbing against my wrists iritated the crap out of me.

Mice are a different story. The gel pads/mousepad combos were OK for balled mice, but with laser/led mice, they aren't used as often. Also, the design/shape of mice has really changed a lot and allows for your hand to sit at a more natural angle. Try and keep your mousing and you forearm in something resembling the same plane, so that your wrist isn't cocked at some odd angle. An adjustable office chair with arm rests that will allow your elbow to rest on it and keep the line from elbow->wrist->mouse being somewhat straight is the key.

All in all, the best accessory you can get to reduce carpal tunnel is a comfortable, well adjusted office chair - and to take breaks from the mouse/keyboard occasionally.

[ariastar]

There is a reason why those squeezy ball things are popular swag at conferences - you are supposed to take a break and squeeze them every so often and move your wrists around.

There are two killers with carpal tunnel - the keyboard and the mouse. Many keyboards are OK these days - having a write rest that has the wrists restting on a surface that is on the same plane as the keys. If your keyboard doesn't have that dort of feature, then those gel pads are OK, but my issue with them is that the material rubbing against my wrists iritated the crap out of me.

Mice are a different story. The gel pads/mousepad combos were OK for balled mice, but with laser/led mice, they aren't used as often. Also, the design/shape of mice has really changed a lot and allows for your hand to sit at a more natural angle. Try and keep your mousing and you forearm in something resembling the same plane, so that your wrist isn't cocked at some odd angle. An adjustable office chair with arm rests that will allow your elbow to rest on it and keep the line from elbow->wrist->mouse being somewhat straight is the key.

All in all, the best accessory you can get to reduce carpal tunnel is a comfortable, well adjusted office chair - and to take breaks from the mouse/keyboard occasionally.


Those squeezy-balls aggravate me for some reason. As in I feel physical aggravation. Badly.

Yeah, laser mice don't work well on those gel things.

My set-up here includes a really comfy chair, foot rest, gel things, a mouse in a size and shape I want to take home and use there, etc.. But still, lately my forearms have been feeling so tired and sore, hence my sudden decrease in posting here and IMing with most friends.

Occassional breaks? LOL, we are always milling about here.

Do you know how well these wrist things are, the support things?

[tokenuser]

My likes hers. She is also a fan of the Microsoft Natural (split) keyboard ... to the point where I had to track on down online after her old one died (coffee), since they weren't being made anymore (they have since released a new USB model).

The gel pads do work, its just the constant rubbing from the material irritated my wrists. My current keyboard has a hard plastic "extension" that is removeable off the front of it that works at the write rest. It makes a huge difference.

For your mouse problem - I'd say spend the $$$ on getting a mouse that feels right, and try to position your arm in a straight line. I personally think the Logitech mice have the best ergonomic feel - and have just moved from a dead MX700 to a new MX1000 (on sale at OfficeMax for $49.00).

If you dont like those squueze balls, yoyos (seriously - its something to do with the wrist action) are an alternative. Also, squeezing a tennis ball (or better still a squash ball - slightly smaller than a raquetball ball) is a good alternative to those squeezy things - and they come back if you throw them at a wall.

[masherscf]

If you dont like those squueze balls, yoyos (seriously - its something to do with the wrist action) are an alternative. Also, squeezing a tennis ball (or better still a squash ball - slightly smaller than a raquetball ball) is a good alternative to those squeezy things - and they come back if you throw them at a wall.

I use a wrist brace when my wrist starts to be sore. Having a sore wrist is pretty bad because that's my lecturing arm.

[tokenuser]

I use a wrist brace when my wrist starts to be sore. Having a sore wrist is pretty bad because that's my lecturing arm.And it makes it hard it through the eraser at the kid asleep at the back of the class??

[pamich]

I have a nice little mac app called AntiRSI (http://tech.inhelsinki.nl/antirsi/) that every 5 minutes tells you to stop typing for 15 seconds and every hour to take a 5 minute break.

[phatlip12]

Old farts :P