Rest Your Wrists

June 2013 — Tip of the Month

If you're one of the many people who still uses a traditional PC for your job or school, you probably spend a lot of time each week typing on a keyboard. This can wreak havoc on your wrists if you aren't careful. In order to avoid unnecessary wrist pain, you can try the following tips:

1. Use a wrist rest. A wrist rest elevates your wrists to the same level as the keys on your keyboard, preventing strain on your ligaments. It is the easiest and most effective way to reduce the risk of wrist pain from typing. A simple $20 wrist rest could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in diagnosis and treatment costs for tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome.
2. Buy an ergonomic keyboard. While it may cost a little extra and can take awhile to get used to, an ergonomic keyboard can make typing much more comfortable. This is especially true if you have one of those flat Apple keyboards, in which case any other keyboard will be an improvement.
3. Relax your forearms. Most wrist pain actually originates in the forearms. Tight forearm muscles can cause tendonitis in your wrists and therefore may produce frustrating long-term pain. Getting a forearm massage from a massage therapist or even using your own knuckles to loosen up your forearm muscles can produce noticeable relief.

If you follow the above tips, you can avoid the most common causes of wrist pain from typing. Of course, if your wrists are already feeling tight and fatigued, simply taking a break from your keyboard for a few days might be the best thing you can do.

- Per Christensson