I’ve always thought that keyboard manufacturers came up with ergonomic keyboards as some kind of marketing ploy, but I am now seriously considering getting one for myself. I am thinking of one of those where the keys are split into two sections facing diagonally away from each other.
Why am I suddenly considering it? Well, right now, typing this blog post is taking a very long time, because my left forearm is in a splint. I shouldn’t be typing actually, but I’ve not been a very good patient.
How did it come to this? Well, I woke up yesterday morning with a pain in my left wrist. I thought I must have somehow sprained it in my sleep. Not particularly unusual, since every morning I have blanket, bolster, and pillows on my bedroom floor when I wake up.
But this morning, I was actually woken by the pain in my wrist. It was far worse than yesterday and after spending an hour on the computer, I decided that it was pointless to try to type with my left hand. After a while, the pain got so bad that I decided to take a trip to the doctor to see what was wrong. My dad recommended that I go straight to the hospital instead of going to the GP, because I would most likely have to get an X-ray.
What I got instead was a jab in the bum and a splint on my wrist. The doctor at Mount Alvernia Hospital diagnosed it as Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI), caused by spending too much time on the keyboard. So it’s true – you can get injured from spending too much time on the computer. Occupational hazard for writers these days, I suppose.
Mine’s an inflammation of a tendon (tendonitis, I think it’s called), which causes lots of pain when opening and closing my hand. I should have realised it was going to be a problem when I found myself dropping things which were in my left hand last night, but today, without painkillers, I can’t even close my hand around things, much less pick them up.
With a good painkiller and a splint, I can go back to typing, but not easily. Writing just this post has taken me about half an hour, so don’t expect to see long posts or replies in comments from me for some time.
Filed under: Adventures | Tagged: ergonomic keyboards, Repetitive Stress Injury
I guess that such injuries come with the job. Though I’m not a writer, I spend much time on the keyboard. My advice? Get a ergonomic keyboard and mouse/mouse pad.
Being a pianist, tendonities is something that all pianists take pains to avoid. The best cure would be to rest the injured hand. Plus change technique. Usually repetitive strain disorder is a result of tension. Tiredness from practicing 3 hours a day is normal, but pain is not.
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Cross reference to tendonities from repetitive typing at computer keyboard…..
1. You need to keep wrist supple and relaxed. Or else the most egonometric keyboard in the world is useless.
2. Well the computer keyboard like the piano keyboard is straight…..So I don’t think the slant of the keyboard is the culprit. But try aligning weight of the elbows behind the fingers as you type. Don’t rest the wrist. But keep fingers curved, like you are holding a ball, then type with the fingertips. So the arms naturally fall into an inverted V shape when the alignment is achieved.
3. Anyway, Ice packs works. Plus REST. The pain should go away with COMPLETE REST. Then retrain the hand to type in new suggested technique.
At least thats what musicians do when they are struck down by Tendonities. I think there is a Dorothy Taubmann in the USA that specialises in musician’s injury….might try googling. Hope this helps.
Hi mary,
Thanks for the advice. It’s really helpful, especially the part about not resting the wrist. I’ve always rested the wrist when typing because I thought that’s how it’s supposed to be. Then again I never did go for typing classes… So at least now I know before it’s too late. I shall work on retraining both hands how to type.
Thanks and God bless,
Catholic Writer
Hi Catholic Writer,
Changing keyboards just puts the strain onto a new set of muscles. It might help in the short term, but for long term, you have to discover what is actually causing the tendonitis.
When you have pain opening and closing your hand, the problem may be in a bracelet of tissue around your wrist called the retinaculum. It’s actually a strap of connective tissue that lashes your forearm muscles to the wrist. Because the fibers of this bracelet run cross-wise to the direction of the forearm muscles, they tend to get stuck together. If this is the case, you will feel a pulling sensation when you bend your wrist downward and close your fingers.
Actually, that is the beginning of a good stretch for this area. But you have to be careful not to overdo it. With tendonitis, you can easily make the situation worse by being overly zealous, so take it slow and gentle.
I recommend that you “kiss” the pain. Bend your wrist down with fingers not quite closed just to the point where you feel the very beginning inkling of pain. Pause there for 5 seconds, then tilt your fist very slightly so you feel the pull in a slightly different place, pause again for 5 seconds and then move again to a new position. Keep stretching and moving for about 1 minute. Then place your hand in your lap and rest there until all the remaining sensation is completely gone.
Try this stretch for awhile to see if it helps improve your symptoms.
All the best!