

Ask HN: Do you get pain in your finger tips from typing all day? - chez17

I figure I can't be the only one who experiences this. The constant pressing all day of both work and play is taking a toll on my fingers. I am now experiencing pain after using a keyboard for not that long. Is there a specific type of keyboard that helps mitigate the pain? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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Wonderdonkey
I get that pain too sometimes, like a bruised bone in the tip of my fingers.
It doesn't seem to happen when I get a good mechanical-switch keyboard. But
when I'm on a bad keyboard, like a laptop keyboard, and I have to bang the
keys hard or else it can't keep up with my speed, then I feel it. Do you have
to bang the keys because your keyboard misses your keystrokes?

These days when it starts to happen I adjust my typing style to type more
slowly and more with the flats of my fingers instead of the very tips/nails.
Also I wear a bandage when it gets bad. It goes away after a day.

I don't know what kind of doctor I'd see for this.

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uvtc
Step 1: Get one of these <http://kinesis-ergo.com/contoured.htm> along with a
trackpad <http://kinesis-ergo.com/touchpads.htm> which you can tape down to
the keyboard in the middle.

Step 2: Posture. Sit up straight, and type such that your upper arms hang
down, your forearms are about horizontal, and the tops of your hands bend down
just a small bit from the horizontal (fingers should dangle down onto the
keys). For me, having the keyboard on my lap --- as well as using a footstool
to keep my lap level --- is just right.

If you _really_ want to go all out (say your pinkies are hurting you the
most), consider a foot-switch to use in place of the Shift key (note, I've
never tried the footswitch).

If you can take the productivity hit for a week or so, consider switching to a
keyboard layout such as dvorak. It's not that much _faster_ than qwerty, but
it's more comfortable. Find out about crazier (and more optimal) layouts at
<http://mkweb.bcgsc.ca/carpalx/> .

I don't work for or have any other interest in Kinesis other than really
liking their Contoured keyboard (combined with the trackpad).

~~~
chez17
Thanks so much for your response. I'll check it out.

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ragatskynet
I was playing the bass too and sometimes I also experience pain in my wrists
or my hands. Not only when I am coding. Writing is the worst my hands always
hurt from writing.

A doctor should help or if it does not, go see another. Of course he will not
give you an advice about which keyboard you should buy, but he might tell you
that you should have a break and stop coding for a while. Or maybe do some
exercises, not sure. :-)

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GuiA
How old are you? Do you heavily use your fingers in some other activity
(guitar, rock climbing, etc.)?

More importantly, go see a doctor.

~~~
chez17
30\. I've played countless hours of guitar through my twenties but have
stopped this last year due to pains in my fingers.

I am seeing a doctor, but I doubt he can give me as good a keyboard
recommendation as the people here.

~~~
GuiA
Fair enough.

It seems that in your case though, you may want to stop using your keyboard
for a while as you explore options with your doctor rather than just try to
mitigate the pain– there are quite a few carpal tunnel horror stories out
there, and it's infinitely better to stop using a computer for a month rather
than become unable to use a keyboard for life.

As far as keyboard recommendations, my PhD advisor had wrist problems and used
something that looked very much like this: [http://www.mac-pro.com/Adesso-Tru-
Form-Pro-Contoured-Ergonom...](http://www.mac-pro.com/Adesso-Tru-Form-Pro-
Contoured-Ergonomic-Keyboard-image.jpg)

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plastic_tumblr
I've had pain in my finger tips for over 3-4 years now; I haven't done
anything about it. I do notice, a couple days away from the computer entirely
takes away the pain. But that is extremely rare in my life. The pain can get
pretty bad sometimes -- it comes not just from typing, but also from clicking
my mouse and rolling the mouse wheel(!).

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bayesianhorse
I've never heard of pain in the finger tips from typing on a keyboard, and if
it really is as you describe it you might not have a lot of options except
medication.

I find the Rapoo e9007 wireless keyboard more pleasant and less painful than
bigger ones with big chunky keys. Maybe a personal thing though.

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leashless
Music physiotherapist. They aren't cheap, but they know more about _protecting
the long term functioning of your hands_ than just about anybody else. It's a
career-ending problem, and it only gets worse if you don't sort out the
fundamentals.

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limeblack
Have you considered another keyboard layout?

Supposedly the workman's layout has many of the most common keyboard shorcuts
in the same place. I have typed on the Dovark layout for a long time and don't
regret it.

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tobylane
Only in deep button keyboards, like the standard Dell/HP. Shallow keyboards
like Apple have simply less travel, less pressure for less time needed.

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RougeFemme
Is the pain only in your fingertips or do you experience it in your joints as
well? Is the pain in all of your fingertips, or just some?

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czbond
No - Change keyboards. I have been told I type very fervently (aka loud and
hard). If anything , my wrists hurt.

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hknozcan
Is it numbness or pain? I see noone brought up 'Carpal tunnel syndrome' yet.
Can it be CTS?

