* I am not a doctor, I have simply had a lot of experience with treating my own injuries and speaking to others in similar situations
This is partially good, but dangerously incomplete advice. The spectrum of RSI is far bigger than carpal tunnel, such as cubital tunnel, tennis elbow, tendinitis, and general neuropathy.
It can be caused by many things including various muscle groups in your shoulders, neck, posture, past injuries, nerve adhesion, flexibility, lack of strength.
Massage is a wonderful way to address nerve adhesion, flexibility, general tightness, but if you have a different issue it’s not really a panacea.
My philosophy is that you should do these things in strict order if you have symptoms:
1. reduce use (take breaks, get hobbies that take you away from the screen at home)
2. vary conditions of use (standing desk, ergonomics, using more than one kind of keyboard/mouse)
3. work out (yoga, swimming are highly recommended)
4. physical treatment (see a doctor, physical therapist, deep masseuse, etc)
5. alternative input (voice, eye tracking, etc)
If you do these in a different order or skip any of them you’re probably doing yourself a disservice.
Also. Don’t ice. Don’t take anti inflammatories or other pain meds while you continue to work. Blood flow is important to recovery - heat can soothe your pain similarly to as ice, but without causing further damage. And pain meds during working hours will make you ignore the damage that is causing your pain, allowing you to cause more damage. Bad.
I’ve also seen some negative studies on steroids and surgery, suggesting if you get those without changing your habits, your pain will recur within a year in 90% of cases. Do your own research, but you might as well change your habits first and only use surgery/drugs as an extreme last resort. (Unless you have the specific form of carpal tunnel that can be permanently fixed in a day with a minor surgery in exchange for lower grip strength?)