91–100 of 123 posts
Then I bought a Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro and an ergonomic mouse and it went away so quickly (like, nearly instant), that I now believe, that what I once read may be true: That the reason for RSI may be psychosomatic.
The interesting thing to note is, that I did not use an ergonomic keyboard/mouse in the last ten years and the RSI did not come back.
I've started wearing fingerless gloves. That solved the pain in my hands completely!
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Did the mouse make a big difference for you? I came across it recently and was considering getting it as my wrist has been getting pretty creaky. I tried putting my hand in that position on my desk and it certainly feels quite relaxing, but I have no idea whether it'll actually feel more comfortable in regular long-term use.
Fwiw, I'll never go back to a regular mouse and I don't suffer from RSI. Vertical mice and trackballs are _just_ better ergonomically. My wrists never feel fatigued and it's very relaxing.
Note: nothing expensive. Also, what works for you will vary.
1. Bad posture in back/neck could noticeably make my hands numb. Got a strap on thing that helps remind me to sit straight.
2. I think my hands/arm muscles were very weak, and somehow that made things worse. This kind of thing helped A LOT: https://www.amazon.com/TOCO-FREIDO-Strengthener-Adjustable-R...
It hurt a little at first, but after the first couple days things felt noticeably better with a tool like this. Note - I'm not a doctor, don't injur yourself...
3. To help posture, a little stand to put my feet on. This does wonders.
4. Sustainable schedule. I don't touch a keyboard on Saturdays, or Thursday nights.
5. Eight hours of sleep to let the body heal. Disciplined sleep schedule.
6. Games like CSGO are really bad contributors to RSI, so I cut down time on this (only couple games a week).
7. For some reason, stressful or work I hate doing makes RSI MUCH worse. So, try put yourself in a position to do things you enjoy.
8. Split keyboard. Stationary ball mouse. The mouse is a big one.
9. Monitor AT EYE LEVEL and close to you. I had my monitor far away with like 13px font like everyone else. This meant I was leaning, ruining my neck, and pinching/straining nerves.
10. Look at piano players. They float their arms. Everyone suggests resting your arms flat on your arm wrests. This seemed to cause a pain to go up my arms and into my wrists. Typing with floating arms feels much better, but I have to switch it up to prevent strain.
All in all, it's a bunch of little stuff I was doing wrong for a long time, and I caught up with me. I hope someone finds this helpful. I did get a nice chair, but this didn't seem to help much, so I didn't list it.
If I go back to a laptop, the pain comes back in a day, so I try to avoid that.
I tried western studio yoga too, and while I enjoyed it, it did aggravate some of my pre-existing back injuries.
Make sure your chair seat is in proper height (whole area of both feet are touching the ground).
Make sure your table is in proper height (your elbow should for a right angle when bent and resting on the table)
Learn to sit up straight (both elbows on the desk, belly touching the edge of the desk)
Make sure your screen is at proper height (top of screen at eye level)
If your hands are hurting from leaning on the desk, try to use a gaming mat - you can buy an XXXL sized one for your whole desk, I personally use two large mousemats, one for mouse and one rotated 90 degrees under the keyboard.
Wearing warmer clothes on your arms and hands can also help, try handwarmer gloves or long sleeves.
Also exercising helps for neck and shoulder areas.