Most of the ergonomic typing stuff I see online is 100% bunk IMO. People spend tons of money and time on ergonomic keyboards and relearning how to type on different layouts just to buy wrist rests and type with their hands tilted up 15 degrees. Eek.
I have two examples.
Recently, I noticed that my neck posture was starting to lean forward again, and I realized that it was because I was sitting just a few more centimeters away from my desk because I had changed the place that I was sitting at. Given that I hadn't changed my font size, I was naturally leaning forward just a little bit. Once I noticed that, I bought a better monitor arm, moved my monitor closer, and now I can slowly return my posture to a less craned position. I've done it before, so I'm not too worried about getting it done eventually. Standing against a wall for a few minutes to calibrate your sense of where your head should be is a good tool for this.
The other example is when I was subconsciously stopping my keyboard from slipping using my right hand when it was on a slight incline. Eventually, this caused my entire right arm to be in pain on a daily basis from not just the wrist, but the elbow, shoulder, and back.
It's little things like this that make a huge difference. You have to appreciate how sensitive a body can be when you're sitting in the same position for so many hours (switching up positions/standing can help with this).
Once I fixed those things, I still had to reverse the damage that had been done, so I took a break from work for about a week and started doing exercises at home again. Mainly just pull ups and push ups (with a form that emphasized triceps more than chest) as far as arms were concerned, and that very slowly strengthed my shoulders and back, which got me to pain free after about a month and a half.
Even simple exercises like that can be enough to help prevent/undo a lot of the pain of RSI.
To use a web analogy, its like having a broken button on a webpage and thinking it's a problem with the HTML (the hand) rather than with the server (the neck area).
- Prone T's/I's - Cat Cows with thoracic spine emphasis - Child's pose - Open Books - Supine Chin Tucks - Dead bugs/Bird dogs - Upper trapezius stretch - Levator scapulae stretch - Quadruped open book - Foam rolling back (every few days)
These all caused pain at various points, but as I learned to keep my shoulder rooted in the socket and learned how to correctly engage my scapula (pull down and back rather than up and back) I was able to do them without pain. I also learned to listen to my body and skip things for as long as needed when I wasn't feeling right. Pushing through nerve pain just leads to more pain. Your body will adjust eventually, but it will do it at its own pace.
EDIT:
1. Exercise frequency: daily/as tolerated
2. I also scrape the muscles in my inner forearms with a fascia release tool (butterknife, but you can find real ones online) a few times a week and this helps tremendously.
He recommended I exercise every day, I picked just before bedtime as a constant so it's easier to remember.
Instead of sets and repetitions he gave me the rule to just keep going with each exercise until I can't anymore (and that doesn't take much in the beginning).
Finally he gave me the advice to always choose exercises from three different categories: push, pull, and legs.
So you could get started with (1) pull ups/rows/flys, (2) standing push ups and finish with (3) squats for example. There's tons of charts online. Rows and flys are good for strengthening your shoulders.
Also, remember to take the exercises slowly and be mindful/aware of your motions and posture. Don't rush through them, put some music on, put your phone away, focus on the exercises! Quality over quantity.
Hope this helps. It worked wonders for me!
Any exercise transmitting force through the shoulder forces the scapula to hold (otherwise the rotator cuff would get injured instead; learn to avoid that before starting).
Pulling a resistance band is a good start; eg stand on the band and curl up, or wrap it around a doorknob and pull across the body.
Finally, if you’re well paid, get a physiotherapist or physical therapist to walk you through the exercises; the money is well worth avoiding the injury risk.
But more seriously, I did tai-chi in the past and found that a very reasonable low-impact way of developing strength in various areas.
My own experience was that I dealt with ulnar nerve RSI for about a year. During that time I wore braces at night and tried just about every keyboard and keyboard layout imaginable, and at best I managed to keep it at bay. When I finally made up my mind to go to physical therapy I learned that:
1. I had postural issues which led to trapping the ulnar nerve in my shoulder (not my wrist, that was just where the pain referred to)
2. I had deep myofascial issues that were preventing my muscles and nerve from moving freely in my arm
3. I had poor mobility which was contributing to decreased function overall
Where I thought I had a localized problem in my wrist, it turned out I had a systemic problem which required strengthening through my entire arm, shoulder, back, neck, and core. I resolved these issues through physical therapy and my ulnar RSI hasn't returned since, though I now maintain an exercise routine that focuses on mobility. I still use an ergonomic keyboard, but I'm now convinced that the issue can't really be solved with gear.