Overcoming typing-related RSI

[2022-09-22 Thu]

Over the past few weeks, I’ve found that decreasing the amount I type has helped a lot. I can’t remember the last time I was unable to sleep due to pain.

I now type only when necessary - much less than before. My language is more brief. It’s becoming a habit to leave explanations out of what I say.

I still type a lot at work. When segments - such as today - happen, during which I type non-stop for longer than about 50-60 minutes, the pain does set in, and takes a few hours to subside again.

Still, it does not get to the point where I need to take painkillers to continue work at a slower pace.

RSI (Repetitive Strain Injuries) take a very long time to heal. If you’re at risk, re-think your ergonomics. Some of the solutions I’ve implemented, which have helped a lot are:

• Putting a cushion on my chair, to sit up higher - and thus having the keyboard relatively lower.
• Float your hands over the keyboard. Doing so allows more hand movement - reaching for keys using your arms instead of stretching your fingers… and removes tension from your wrists and tendons by keeping your hands aligned with your forearms. Less wrist movement = less strain.
• Tilting my keyboard outward slightly, to decrease the amount of ’twisting’ my forearms to be horizontal over the desk. I have found that tilting too much (!!!) does actually make typing more difficult for my relatively short pinkies. So try a few settings out, if you’re able to. Note: this is only possible if you’re using a split keyboard… which brings us to:
• Use a split keyboard. This allows your arms to rest over the keyboard in a neutral position, with the right (usually shoulder-width) gap between them. On a regular keyboard, it’s easy to build a habit of hunching over the keyboard because it forces your hands to be together. Additionally, it adds an unnatural twist to your wrists - if you use ‘proper’ typing technique.
• Sit up straight, with your elbows ‘hanging’ along your torso. Not always possible if your chair’s armrests are too high, but that allows you to relax your shoulders, which has a waterfall effect on how much stress is held in your arms, forearms, wrists and hands.
• Take frequent breaks to stretch, and do other work with your hands. Changing what your hands are doing from the same motions to something radically different (e.g. washing dishes, doing laundry, etc.) allows your tendons to experience a different kind of work, which feels like it resets the tension that builds up in them. Note: this is only based on my experience and is not in any way medical advice. If your particular issues are made worse by this, don’t blame me - check with your doctor.
• Wrist braces. Wear them when:
  • typing
  • in pain
  • sleeping (many people, me included, have a tendency to sleep with their wrists curled inward - this appears to cause further stress on the tendons)
• REST. This cannot be overstated. REST. STOP TYPING UNLESS NECESSARY.

The whole reason this article is here so late is because I had to give my arms time to rest, and recover to the point where I can type somewhat comfortably.

Even with that, having written this in one go, I am finding my forearms starting to ache. Not great. Take care of ergonomics - if your life relies on being able to type, you can’t take risks.

Serious cases of RSI can take YEARS to heal. Stay safe.