Experts debate whether wrist rests are necessary for safe computer use. While they can prevent hand and wrist fatigue, improperly used rests can cause more repetitive stress injuries. Occupational health experts suggest using a wrist rest only between typing and mouse sessions to avoid improper technique. Improper mouse play can lead to inflamed upper back and neck muscles. Proper typing and mouse techniques are essential to prevent injury.
There is a growing debate among ergonomics and occupational health experts about whether a wrist rest is needed to safely perform the work of a computer keyboard and mouse. One school of thought suggests that palm rests help align the user’s hands and wrists when typing or mouse-over, while another suggests they may encourage users to relax their hand position too much while typing. Instead of reducing the number and severity of carpal tunnel injuries, improperly used rest can actually cause more repetitive stress injuries (RSI) for those who type or mouse for long periods of time.
A palm rest, especially one filled with gel, is definitely better than no support at all. Without some form of support, a keyboard or mouse user tends to experience hand and wrist fatigue relatively quickly. The user’s unsupported wrists and lower hand can fall below the level of the keyboard, which is a particularly dangerous position for repetitive typing. The rest also provides a soft cushion for your wrists, instead of an unforgiving desktop surface or no surface at all.
One major concern about using a palm rest, however, is with the idea that the user rests their hands while typing or using the mouse. Proper typing technique emphasizes the importance of bending or cupping your hands so that your fingers strike the keys at a downward angle. If the user’s wrists rest on a pad while typing, the fingers have to reach the keys at a more stressful angle. For this reason, many occupational health experts suggest using only a keyboard or mouse wrist rest between typing and mouse sessions. The user’s wrists should not touch the pad while active typing.
The same philosophy goes for a mouse pad. A padded wrist rest can help keep the wrist aligned with the hand, but the entire hand and wrist must move as a unit directed by the user’s shoulders. Swiping or pushing the mouse with just your fingers or wrist is considered improper mouse play and can lead to inflammation of the upper back and neck muscles. While carpal tunnel syndrome may be the most common office-related injury, the second most reported injury is an inflamed trapezius muscle often caused by improper mouse techniques.
Installing a palm rest for a computer keyboard or mouse isn’t a bad idea in itself, considering how uncomfortable it can be to have no palm rest at all. But if you plan on doing extensive typing or mouse work, you might want to take a refresher course in proper typing and mouse techniques. Putting too much pressure on the underside of your wrist can cause carpal tunnel-like damage, and it can be difficult to resist wrist pressure on the palm rest while typing.
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