To avoid carpal tunnel syndrome, ensure your work environment is ergonomic, with your hands at a 90-degree angle to your upper arms, and take regular breaks. Wrist exercises and braces can also help, as can adjusting keyboard tension and using a palm rest. Employers should encourage breaks and exercise to prevent repetitive motion injuries.
It can be difficult to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome for people who type frequently or for those who work jobs that require repetitive motion of the fingers, hands and wrists. Some people may be less able to avoid it because certain conditions such as thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes make the condition more likely. However, all efforts should focus on prevention, as repetitive motion injuries can seriously affect your ability to do your job. Make sure you put as little stress on your wrists as possible, angle your body and hands properly, practice some basic wrist exercises, and take regular breaks.
The first step to avoiding carpal tunnel syndrome is to make sure your work environment puts a strain on your wrists. Your body position and the position of your keyboard matter. When you place your hands on the keyboard, your forearms, wrists, and hands should extend at a 90-degree angle to your upper arms. If your hands are lower or higher when typing, you’re more likely to develop carpal tunnel problems.
The body should be in a straight but relaxed position and the knees should also be bent to a comfortable 90° angle with the feet flat on the floor. If your chair isn’t adjustable, consider a footrest if your feet don’t touch the floor. The work you have to type should be easy to read and you shouldn’t have to hunch over to write. A stand where you can place the papers to be copied can be useful.
Many typists fall victim to carpal tunnel syndrome because their wrists rest under the keyboard and they have to angle their hands up to type correctly. A palm rest under your hands can keep your hands positioned more appropriately for typing. Also, typists working on keys with a high resistance can injure their wrists by hitting the keys too hard. The keyboard tension adjustment makes it easier to type without pushing as hard.
Even with good body positioning, some people still find themselves typing at awkward angles. This may simply be a bad habit and may make it more difficult to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome. A good fix for poor hand position is wrist braces or gloves that restrict the up-and-down and side-to-side movement of the wrists. They let your fingers do the work while your wrists stay stable.
Typists can also do wrist exercises, essentially warming up the wrists before starting work. There are many exercise suggestions available, but the simplest is to simply shake hands or make a fist for five seconds with each hand. The goal is to find exercises that are easy to perform and require little time.
An essential element that is often overlooked by typists is the benefit of taking breaks. It’s best when these breaks rest both your wrists and your eyes, so stepping away from the keyboard for a few moments is a good idea. Ideally, a break and stretch should be done at least once every hour. The wrist warm-up exercises should be repeated before writing again. It may be a good idea to incorporate some body stretches as well, as long periods of sitting can be harmful to the whole body.
Many companies and individuals know the cost of losing good typists to carpal tunnel syndrome and encourage frequent breaks and even company-wide exercise once an hour to keep their employees healthy. If your company doesn’t offer such a policy, ask for these breaks anyway, as most employers don’t want to pay for your disability if you develop carpal tunnel syndrome. Self-employed workers or students should make sure they take hourly breaks. Try setting a timer if your work easily distracts you and you lose track of time.
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