How I solved my own carpal tunnel after too much quake^H^H^H^H^Hcoding.
(1) Take some time off. If you can't do that, for your own sake take a break at least once an hour where you yawn/stretch and drink lots of water. This will help your body repair itself and turn your bladder into an internal timer to take a break. Seriously, it works.
(2) Wrist position is the _key_: hands must be straight extensions of the forearms. Angling up/down or side/side is a no-no. If one hand hurts more than the other it could be a mouse issue.
(2a) If you don't know what the "ideal position" feels like, then wear IMAK ergobead gloves which have this hard strip inside (like an injury brace) that forces you into the correct position. Wear these for several weeks until the pain recedes and you've "learned" the proper position. Think of them as training wheels for your wrists. Try them on in a store to make sure you get the right size (I think Fry's carries them).
(3) If you mouse a lot, consider an IMAK ergobead mouse wrist rest. All other wrist rests I've tried are either too hard or not supportive enough. If you're cheap, make your own bean bag (double-ziplock some small dry beans/beads/whatever, fold it in half, and put a thin towel over it). Think Japanese buckwheat pillow for your wrist.
(4) At minimum get an "ergo" keyboard where there is that split in the middle. If you can afford it get one of the fancier ones that have continuous levels of adjustment. I've tried Kinesis and Goldtouch to good effect. If you have small hands the Microsoft ergo keyboard may be too large for you.
(5) TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS or someday you will not be able to type. See rule #1.
Oh, and use vim for home-row navigation ;-)
To the "bio" guy: it's actually a mixture of gadgetry (so that your hands are in the right position with less effort) and having stronger arms (so that your hands can be held in the right position without getting tired).
Undisclosure: I have nothing to do with IMAK whatsoever but after trying lots of different product lines, their products were the only one that subtracted from the pain instead of adding to it in the long run.
Comments
How I solved my own carpal tunnel after too much quake^H^H^H^H^Hcoding.
(1) Take some time off. If you can't do that, for your own sake take a break at least once an hour where you yawn/stretch and drink lots of water. This will help your body repair itself and turn your bladder into an internal timer to take a break. Seriously, it works.
(2) Wrist position is the _key_: hands must be straight extensions of the forearms. Angling up/down or side/side is a no-no. If one hand hurts more than the other it could be a mouse issue.
(2a) If you don't know what the "ideal position" feels like, then wear IMAK ergobead gloves which have this hard strip inside (like an injury brace) that forces you into the correct position. Wear these for several weeks until the pain recedes and you've "learned" the proper position. Think of them as training wheels for your wrists. Try them on in a store to make sure you get the right size (I think Fry's carries them).
(3) If you mouse a lot, consider an IMAK ergobead mouse wrist rest. All other wrist rests I've tried are either too hard or not supportive enough. If you're cheap, make your own bean bag (double-ziplock some small dry beans/beads/whatever, fold it in half, and put a thin towel over it). Think Japanese buckwheat pillow for your wrist.
(4) At minimum get an "ergo" keyboard where there is that split in the middle. If you can afford it get one of the fancier ones that have continuous levels of adjustment. I've tried Kinesis and Goldtouch to good effect. If you have small hands the Microsoft ergo keyboard may be too large for you.
(5) TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS or someday you will not be able to type. See rule #1.
Oh, and use vim for home-row navigation ;-)
To the "bio" guy: it's actually a mixture of gadgetry (so that your hands are in the right position with less effort) and having stronger arms (so that your hands can be held in the right position without getting tired).
Undisclosure: I have nothing to do with IMAK whatsoever but after trying lots of different product lines, their products were the only one that subtracted from the pain instead of adding to it in the long run.