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From: rob@spot.Colorado.EDU (Rob Cuthbertson)
Newsgroups: comp.human-factors
Subject: Re: Carpal Tunnel& Ulnar Nerve Entrapment
Message-ID: <1991Jun27.175225.22984@colorado.edu>
Date: 27 Jun 91 17:52:25 GMT
References: <1991Jun25.183429.3457@aucs.AcadiaU.ca>
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In article <1991Jun25.183429.3457@aucs.AcadiaU.ca> 880139h@aucs.acadiau.ca (Rob Hutten) writes:
>
>
>Have any of you had experience with getting either carpal
>tunnel syndrome or ulnar nerve entrapment from using computers
>on a regular basis?  I'm starting physiotherapy tonight for UNE,
>and my brother had his wrist in a brace for a couple months with
>CTS.   We're both programmers and we've been told that both
>problems were caused by the rigid position in which we hold our
>hands.  My brother's CTS was relieved with the brace and the use
>of a trackball instead of a mouse (he does Macintosh support),
>so I was wondering if there were products available such as
>special keyboard holders, etc. which could help out my UNE.
>

A few months ago, I recall reading an article about a "bent" keyboard
for Macs which was designed to reduce the strain on the Carpal Tunnel tendons.
The keyboard layout was unchanged, but the keyboard itself arched up in the
middle, reducing the twist in the forearm.  
As I recall, this keyboard was patented by an individual who was "working
out the details" of selling it for Macs.  I have not heard anything since,
and I'd like to know what has become of it.  Anyone with more details,
please let me know.  I'd be MOST interested in a keyboard of this type for
a Sun Sparcstation, but a Mac keyboard would be great too.


(disclaimer:  I don't pretend to be an authority on the preventative or 
curative value of this change, but it IS a more comfortable position.
Try this -- hold your arms in a typing position, with palms down.  Now
turn your hands so the palms face each other.  Which position would YOU rather
be in for 2000 hours/year?)

--Rob Cuthbertson, rob@spot.Colorado.EDU
"You're not supposed to understand this."  (Comment in bsd UNIX kernel source?)