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From: smb@ulysses.homer.nj.att.com (Steven M. Bellovin)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Avoiding Wrist Damage when Typing
Message-ID: <12330@ulysses.homer.nj.att.com>
Date: 27 Oct 89 16:44:56 GMT
References: <15349@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <1932@dover.sps.mot.com> <1646@cbnewsj.ATT.COM>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 29

In article <1646@cbnewsj.ATT.COM>, ncas@cbnewsj.ATT.COM (clifford.a.stevens..jr) writes:
> In article <1932@dover.sps.mot.com>, talent@dover.sps.mot.com (Steve Talent) writes:
> > In article <15349@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> erspert@athena.mit.edu (Ellen R. Spertus) writes:
> > I now type with my wrists flat and the problem rarely occurs.  Sit upright
> > with your elbows about the same height as the lower edge of the keyboard.
> > Your forearm will be inclined 3 to 5 degrees from horizontal.  One reason 
> > I believe I developed bad typing posture before is that my chair was too
> > low relative to the keyboard.  I had to reach up to the keyboard and because
> > of arm fatigue I would rest my wrists on the table.
> 
> This is good, but sitting at chair high enough for your wrists might make your 
> screen too low relative to your eyes.  My physical therapist says you should
> look up at the screen, however I have no idea why, and I don't and it doesn't
> seem to bother me!

According to my orthopedist, neck problems are the second-most common
occupational hazard among programmers -- that he sees, at any rate.
The most common is wrist problems; it could be carpal tunnel syndrome
(I know at least one programmer who's had surgery because of it),
or it could be tendonitis.  I'm still wrestling with that -- figuratively
speaking, because I've got an damnably uncomfortable wrist splint on
right now, and I'm taking anti-inflammatories, etc.  Yes, wrist position
is very important.  Apparently, holding your wrists too high up, to
keep them off the table or keyboard edge, is bad, too.

More as I get more details, both from the doctor and from a friend who's
a physical therapist specializing in hands.

		--Steve Bellovin