Preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for Tech Writers
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a notorious medical condition. Especially for people whose occupation involves a lot of repetitive wrist flexing motions. And, there are studies showcasing that using a keyboard for typing too much can be one of the causes for the syndrome to develop. In reality, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can occur for various reasons.
The condition itself is caused by compression of the median nerve in one’s hand and wrist and brings a lot of inconveniences. Some common symptoms are pain, numbness, a tingling sensation in the fingers, or general weakness in the hands.
The carpal tunnel is quite thin, the median nerve that lies inside it gives sensation to fingers and sends signals to their muscles, hence the carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.
When the condition progresses to the point of interfering with your day-to-day life, you need to pay a visit to the doctor. Since technical writers type a lot, this might be a cause for concern. However, there are things we all can do and measures we can take to try to prevent the condition from occurring/developing.
Exercises Against Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
I’ve found resources offering exercises that can help with preventing the syndrome from happening — being proactive in such matters is a wise choice.
This article contains gifs displaying the exercises and as well as detailed descriptions. This resource also has a lot of other articles on wellbeing and health worth checking out.
2. Best Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Stretches & Exercises — Ask Doctor Jo
This is a YouTube video that has got great reviews. It contains stretches and exercises for Carpal Syndrome prevention that are not just focusing around your wrists, but actually involve your upper body.
3. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome — Oxford University Hospitals
This document created by the Oxford University Hospitals team contains a lot of useful info about the disease and a set of exercises for it, too.
Ergonomic Keyboard
Ergonomic keyboards can help get rid of some Carpal Tunnel symptoms and provide pain relief to a certain extend. They are not just helping with hands and wrists positioning but improving your overall body posture.
Check out these lists with top ergonomic keyboards:
- The Best Ergonomic Keyboard by Wirecutter, New York Times
This is an in-depth research conducted by the Wirecutter team. They explain how they tested the keyboards, what criteria they had in mind, and come up with extremely detailed descriptions.
2. The best ergonomic keyboards for 2020 by digitaltrends
A very recent and really broad list of ergonomic keywords. You can find an image of each keyboard, its description, and pricing. The pricing options come from different resources, so you can find a better deal for yourself.
3. The best ergonomic keyboards by Business Insider
A great list of ergonomic keyboards to choose from. The article also shows discounts if any. Business Insider has even come up with categories for the ergonomic keyboards, like best gaming ergonomic keyboard, best two-piece ergonomic keyboard, best ergonomic keyboard and mouse combo, etc.
Ergonomic Mouse
Other studies mention that computer mice can cause even more damage and worsen the Carpal Tunnel symptoms than a keyboard! So, here’s a couple of articles that feature the best ergonomic mice.
- The best ergonomic mouse of 2020 by CNN underscored
A great and thorough study of the best ergonomic mice for 2020. A lot of competitors and well-defined pick criteria. The descriptions of the mice are well-rounded and very thorough.
2. The 8 Best Ergonomic Mouse for Professionals
A nice article that can help you pick the best ergonomic mice. The author provides a list of things you need to consider before buying one and then testing a bunch of mice against them. What’s even better — almost all mice come with review videos, so you can see them in action.
Conclusion
The Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a nasty thing, really. But it is in our power to improve this situation. Regular exercises and a considerate approach to buying a mouse and a keyboard can help turn things around.
