The way to prevent it is to type with a posture such that all of the joints of the arm/hand (not to mention neck, shoulders, etc.) are in a neutral position with as little static load as possible.
This can be accomplished more or less on a standard keyboard, but is much easier with a keyboard that has a split halves, tented. It is also helpful to type with a light, bouncy style, which can be helped by careful choice of keyswitches.
> It is also helpful to type with a light, bouncy style, which can be helped by careful choice of keyswitches.
I use Cherry MX Brown and have a very light touch when typing now. I cringe anytime I see people hammer keyboards.
2) Is the KA2 wide enough for your shoulders? A split keyboard was the ticket for me, due to the set of my shoulders.
2) It seems to be. I find it quite comfortable at least. I’ll keep an eye on it, thanks!
I also have a Microsoft 4000 at home for light/occasional usage and it's struck the point of being good enough for that purpose, and it was quite inexpensive.
(If your wrists are straight on a regular keyboard and your shoulders are not scrunched you probably don't need a split board)
I've had two RSI episodes in my life. The first one was similar to what you described and went away without any physical intervention, after I read something similar. The second (specifically, I had carpel tunnel syndrome symptoms) was more recently and didn't go away until I tried these: https://www.mijncarpaletunnel.nl/en/home They say to use them for 6 weeks. For about 4 weeks I didn't notice any change, but by the end of week 5 I was pain-free. They claim that you should remain pain-free for a couple of years after, which wasn't the case for me, I get some symptoms every so often (rarely pain, usually tingling fingers), but between using a Kinesis Advantage2 keyboard with foot pedals and taking regular breaks, its been manageable so far and hasn't caused any problems.