Xref: utzoo comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc:5118 comp.sys.misc:3177 comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware:4157
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!wuarchive!uunet!news.larc.nasa.gov!ipsun.larc.nasa.gov!jcburt
From: jcburt@ipsun.larc.nasa.gov (John Burton)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,comp.sys.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: typing pains ...
Message-ID: <1990Dec31.174857.23369@news.larc.nasa.gov>
Date: 31 Dec 90 17:48:57 GMT
References: <1990Dec31.015926.1180@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
Sender: news@news.larc.nasa.gov (USENET Network News)
Distribution: usa
Organization: NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA  USA
Lines: 46

In article <1990Dec31.015926.1180@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> peter@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Peter Wu) writes:
>Hi.
>
>Is there any good solutions to preventing the "tunnel carping" (forgot
>the real name) syndrome?
>
>I'm typing in my dorm room and my wrists rest upon the edge of the
>table that my computer is on.  My wrists are really starting to hurt.
>The desk is rather high compared to the height of my chair and the
>computer takes up room in front of the keyboard so that I can't move
>the keyboard back for more flat space to rest my wrists on.
>
>Any information would be appreciated.  Email me directly or post here.
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Pedro Quien?		peter@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu		Peter K. Wu

I *think* the name is "carpal tunnel syndrome", so named because the tendons
that move the bones of the hands (carpals) go through what is essentially
a tunnel to get from the forearm to the hand...

couple of suggestions...

first, see a sports oriented orthopidic md. (perhaps student health)
for suggestions and possibly anti-inflammatory drugs (asprin and
ibuprofen are good if the pain is not too bad)

as far as typing goes, you really need to change the geometry of the
keyboard/computer/chair/hands arrangement to give your wrists more
support and to straighten them out - most people when typing on a computer
keyboard tend to rest their wrist on the edge of the table, below the keyboard,
and then bend the hands up so that the fingers can come down on the
keys. This bending at the wrist can lead to the problem you're having.

Try raising your entire body so that your elbows at rest are slightly
above the level of your keyboard (put your chair on a box or something)
or by the same token, lower your computer/keyboard so that you get the
same relative position between elbows and keyboard. Put your keyboard on
a board - i.e. extend your desk toward you so that you have a place to
rest your wrists. place a thick pad on the extension where your wrists
would rest. This is to elevate your wrist above the keyboard so that
your hands are pretty much inline with your forearms, so you don't
continually have your wrists bent while typing...

John Burton
(jcburt@cs.wm.edu)