
Hand and Wrist Exercises for Computer Users - tacon
http://ergonomictrends.com/hand-wrist-exercises-computer-users/
======
doopfoopdoop
Stupid anecdotal evidence here, but my experience with wrist/hand pain from
computer use is that it's largely addressed by being strong.

During my senior year of college, I had a lot hand pain and I also didn't go
to the gym that year. Now, I type more than I ever have, but I'm also
deadlifting over 500 lbs x 5 and I don't get any pain at all.

(Dead)lifting is a remarkably good panacea. Back pain, mental blocks, anxiety.
Fixes a lot of shit. If you're not lifting heavy, you should be. [0] is a good
place to get started.

The article mentions those grip strengtheners in (general) support of this--
but the deadlift already does this (i.e., train grip) and a lot more.

[0] [https://aasgaardco.com/store/books-posters-
dvd/books/startin...](https://aasgaardco.com/store/books-posters-
dvd/books/starting-strength-basic-barbell-training/)

~~~
bitexploder
As I have aged I have moved away from Deadlift. I generally agree though. I
train BJJ (grappling) and lift weights. There is a reason a lot of strongmen
avoid deadlift. It is a very injury-prone exercise and it requires a
tremendous amount of training to do safely IMO. Squats are much safer. You can
modify deadlifts in a number of ways to be much safer. I have never had hand
issues and I have terrible computer posture. Genetics maybe... but I think RSI
work by doing tons of micro damage. Lifting gets your body to repair damage it
would not otherwise recognize as damage.

~~~
least
Strongmen don't avoid deadlift. Robert Oberst was on Joe Rogan Experience and
suggested that people that aren't doing deadlift for the sake of the deadlift
should look at other exercises because they are safer. Strongmen can't avoid
it because in almost every strongman competition there is some sort of
deadlift event. It has carry over into other events like the farmer's carry as
well.

------
hinkley
No shoulder exercises. They mention two conditions that are clearly shoulder
problems and offer no exercises.

Do some research on stretches for the pectoral is minor muscles. People who
type almost universally have a rolled shoulder that can cause back and arm
pain. This is caused by tight pec minors.

[https://www.bemyhealer.com/2016/03/22/3-reasons-
pectoralis-m...](https://www.bemyhealer.com/2016/03/22/3-reasons-pectoralis-
minor-muscle-upper-body-pain/) is a reasonable place to start.

~~~
ebg13
Agreed. In personal anecdotal experience, every single problem that I ever
felt in my hands and wrists was actually caused by my neck and shoulders and
went away with improved shoulder/trapezius strength and neck posture.

------
troydavis
If you're into prevention, get an ergo-aware keyboard and mouse if you feel
any discomfort at all.

The starting points - and for many people, perfection - are a split keyboard
(like [https://kinesis-ergo.com/shop/freestyle2-for-pc-us/](https://kinesis-
ergo.com/shop/freestyle2-for-pc-us/)), ideally with the center elevated
("tented"), and a vertical mouse (like
[https://evoluent.com/products/vm4r/](https://evoluent.com/products/vm4r/)).
They have almost no learning curve. Kinesis has a 60-day money-back guarantee.

These products should leave your wrists and hands at the same angles as when
they hang at your side. Let your arms dangle freely, bend your elbows, and
type/mouse.

~~~
toyg
If you can get over the "gaming" look (lights can be disabled), the best
keyboard from kinesis is their Freestyle Edge: [https://gaming.kinesis-
ergo.com/edge/](https://gaming.kinesis-ergo.com/edge/)

As well as all the ergo goodness, you can reprogram it to an inch of its life.
I have the first generation, use it with a Mac and a Colemak layout, and it's
da bomb.

------
dceddia
Switching to a Kinesis keyboard has helped my hand/wrist pain quite a bit. It
seemed to be steadily getting worse, and disappeared after using the keyboard
for a couple weeks.

Another thing that helped is the book Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome[0]. It
has a good set of stretches to do categorized by what's bothering you.

Even more impactful IMO, it teaches a technique they call the "stretch point":
very gently & slowly stretching until you feel the first hint of a stretch,
then pausing and waiting for the feeling to release, over and over. Versus
what I was naturally doing before, which was to stretch until I really _felt_
it, and hold for a while. The theory is that the slow/gentle stretch+release
pattern is more effective for the smaller muscles and less likely to damage
them.

[0]: [https://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Carpal-Syndrome-
Repetitive...](https://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Carpal-Syndrome-Repetitive-
Injuries/dp/1572240393)

------
askvictor
My physio's theory is that a heap of pain he treats (mostly back pain, but can
extrapolate anywhere) is stress related (essentially psychosomatic); less
about being under stress, more about not having an outlet for that stress. He
says that Italians don't get back pain as they're always shouting at each
other. Funny thing is the stress manifests itself in real physical problems,
but mostly treating the physical problem will cause the symptom to move
somewhere else. Was definitely the case for me (2 months after starting a new
job, under high stress, had crippling should pain; worked itself out once I
got the ropes and relaxed into it; obviously this is only an anecdote). His
joking 'cure' is to go punch your boss in the face. More seriously, read some
Dr John Sarno.

------
marpstar
For the past few years I've had a lot of tension in my forearm muscles in my
dominant arm. Causes for me include mouse usage, guitar strumming, and lifting
heavy. I've tried stretches like these, arm roller/massagers, self-massaging
techniques. While these have helped a bit, nothing has been as effective as
these $10 straps[1].

When I'm having a "bad arm day", I throw one of these straps on for an hour or
two and it really helps to take away the tension (and therefore most
discomfort I've experienced).

[1]: [https://www.amazon.com/Tendonitis-Compression-Prevent-
Fishin...](https://www.amazon.com/Tendonitis-Compression-Prevent-Fishing-
Adjustable/dp/B07QNPMHKW/)

~~~
LegitShady
I had the same thing with forearms. What you're experiencing is tendonitis
commonly known as tennis elbow. Those straps relieve stress but they dont help
heal. overuse will weaken your muscles.

In my case I spent some time studying the muscles of the forearm and analyzing
my pain and movements. A TENS machine (cheap on amazon) targeting that muscle
for 15 minutes helps a lot to make the muscle relax.

One major stretch missing in this list is active (using your other hand to
push past where you can move it normally) wrist pronation/supination. In my
case the shortened muscle was the flexor carpi ulnaris (which operates your
pinky and wrist deviation). when it was overused it presented as tennis elbow
and wrist pain on the ulnar side of the wrist.

When i do active wrist pronation/supination I can feel the stretch at the
ulnar side of the wrist and at the lateral epicondyle, exactly where the pain
used to be.

By stretching my wrist daily, including active wrist pronation/supination
stretches, and once it had better range of movement starting on light exercise
with resistance bands, everything is back to normal.

But try and figure out where your problem is exactly. your forearm and wrists
are complicated and not just one muscle.

------
JBiserkov
Exercise is very important. So is prevention.

Learn and use Dvorak. Get an ergonomic keyboard.

Non-affiliate links, ordered by increasing price. I have the 4000 and the
Sculpt ergonomic for more than 5 years each. I've just started using the
Ergodox.

[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000A6PPOK/](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000A6PPOK/)

[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CYX26BC/](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CYX26BC/)

[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CYX54C0/](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CYX54C0/)

[https://ergodox-ez.com/](https://ergodox-ez.com/)

~~~
Symbiote
I've used Dvorak for over 15 years, but last month I was looking for a
replacement for wearing-out Microsoft Natural 4000s, used at work and at home.

The Kinesis Freestyle Edge [1] looked like a great option, but then I found
myself swept into the rabbithole of custom mechanical keyboards. There is a
frankly overwhelming number of decisions to make: split or not, with or
without function/number/numpad/navigation keys, the usual row-staggered layout
or column-staggered or a square grid, then the type of mechanical switch.
Finally, there are the 3D-printed split keyboards meant to fit the shape of
the hands.

I ended up buying a Ergodash [2] kit [3] and soldering it myself. I've had it
for less than a week so far, and though adapting to the column-staggered
layout was reasonably quick, I'm still a bit hit-and-miss with pressing
modifier keys with my thumb. I'm not yet ready to give it a proper review.

Using a split keyboard has shown me I have a pretty poor keyboarding posture.
Even with the traditional MS Natural ergonomic keyboard, I was twisting my
right wrist because the keyboard is still narrower than my shoulders.

Xah Lee's site has a good, quick overview of many of the most popular DIY[4]
and manufactured[5] options.

[1] [https://gaming.kinesis-ergo.com/edge/](https://gaming.kinesis-
ergo.com/edge/)

[2] [https://github.com/omkbd/ErgoDash](https://github.com/omkbd/ErgoDash)

[3] I bought the Ergodash kit from Germany from
[https://keycapsss.com/](https://keycapsss.com/) , it's also available as a
kit or assembled from Poland at [https://falba.tech/](https://falba.tech/)

[4]
[http://xahlee.info/kbd/diy_keyboards_index.html](http://xahlee.info/kbd/diy_keyboards_index.html)

[5]
[http://xahlee.info/kbd/ergonomic_keyboards_index.html](http://xahlee.info/kbd/ergonomic_keyboards_index.html)

------
wodenokoto
I have been using the wrist exercises [1] in Reddits r/bodyweight recommended
routine [2].

I gotta admit that my wrists starts acting up when I don't do them for a
while. I prefer them to most of what is recommended in TFA.

[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSZWSQSSEjE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSZWSQSSEjE)
[2]
[https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommend...](https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine)

~~~
LegitShady
He has wrist pronation/supination that the list in OP doesn't seem to do.

------
dugmartin
I was introduced to a several great wrist exercises by a fellow student at my
TKD school that has advanced degrees in several martial arts and is also an
occupational therapist.

I have an issue with my right wrist caused by falling backwards and catching
myself while playing basketball in highschool 30+ years ago. The exercise that
helps the most is to hold my right arm out at full (almost hyperextended)
length with the palm facing me and then placing my left hand behind my right
and grabbing my right thumb while wrapping my left fingers around the bottom
of my right palm. I then use my left arm to put greater and greater pressure
on my right wrist. I then do the same to the left wrist. Doing that a couple
of times a day while programming seems to "open up" my wrist. YMMV.

~~~
lcall
Why downvoted? While as they said, YMMV. I also have had pain over time in my
right hand/wrist (started around the same time as a minor bicycling accident),
that was somewhat improved from exercises I accumulated by various reading,
coworker suggestions, and wrist brace (the 2 doctors I did se didn't seem to
actually help much except making a couple of suggestions), I also benefited
from seeing a good physical therapist who recommended the best exercises I
have found so far (for me, that is -- I get the idea that situations differ
enough that individual evaluation might be best. Actually, I also saw a
chiropracter and we discussed, confirming some things I was already doing, but
a licensed massage therapist did _something_ to it that made the pain go away
for almost 2 solid weeks: I wish I knew of a person to do the same thing, who
lives much closer to me, and I might look more for one again as time permits.

------
BubRoss
Ergonomics is something that seems to be advancing very slowly.

My current thinking is that split keyboards are important, having your hands
low is important, having the keyboard tilted down is important, exercising
entire muscle groups from back muscles to shoulders to forearms is important
and making sure you have multiple good positions to adjust to is important.

I think conventional wisdom is so far off the mark it will be laughable in 50
years. Look how twisted you have to place your hands to use a regular
keyboard. You lift them up, tilt them up, tilt them to the side etc.

Using a typical computer set up is basically putting yourself is a stress
position. I want to have multiple, very different positions I can be in. Being
able to lie down on a bean bag and use a tablet for some things would be even
better.

~~~
Someone
_”You lift them up“_

I don’t remember ever seeing that as ergonomic advice.

Most, if not all, ergonomic advice says something along the lines of
([https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/typing-posture-pain-
preventi...](https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/typing-posture-pain-prevention)):

 _”Type at the right height. A lot of people place their keyboard directly on
their desk, so it 's just below chest level. But typing at that height for a
long time limits circulation and stresses the joints and nerves in your arms,
shoulders, and wrists. That can cause numbness and pain in those areas, as
well as your back. It can even lead to long-term problems like carpal tunnel
syndrome.

The fix: If it's possible, use a keyboard tray that's placed beneath your
desktop. Your keyboard should be slightly below your elbows.”_

~~~
BubRoss
For typing, that link is saying something similar to what I was saying.

Most people don't do this and I'm not sure if is a common recommendation. I
haven't ever seen a lowered keyboard tray despite having seen thousands of
workstations.

------
edoo
Get a gyro exercise ball. They are crazy fun and 5 minutes of use clears up an
entire day worth of typing stiffness. They can be used to strengthen any part
of the arm including the shoulder.

~~~
hombre_fatal
My friend and I would compete over who could get the highest score on the LCD
display. Unfortunately it seems that wear over time slows it down. No matter
how much stronger and experienced I get, I cannot beat the score I hit on day
2 on the same ball weeks and months later.

~~~
edoo
I've owned many and there is nothing like a new one. The bearings always seem
to wear down or get dirty. They make precision machined metal ones for super
enthusiasts but I haven't tried those.

------
lcall
Some other recent discussions (not comprehensive):

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12931885](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12931885)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12986759](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12986759)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15182304](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15182304)

------
lightedman
Practically everything mentioned in the article can be handled by a Dynaflex
Powerball, which is what I used after having carpal tunnel surgery on my right
wrist. Full ROM achieved and I can hang off a cliff face with that hand like
nobody's business (and do when obtaining rock specimens.)

------
swader999
Trigger point pressure on the scalenes for the win. Try it right now:
[https://youtu.be/HpJw0h72BlM](https://youtu.be/HpJw0h72BlM)

------
qzx_pierri
Hand exercises seem like something a person would only do AFTER they already
suffer from chronic hand pain. Does anyone ever actually think to do this
before using their computer?

~~~
eska
I started to learn vim when I was 20 because I was made aware of these issues.
Recently I bought a keyboard without a numpad block in order to position the
keyboard in front of me without the mouse being too far away.

Recently two of my coworkers are suffering from these issues, one even had to
go to therapy and missed a couple weeks of work in total. Luckily he seems to
be fine now, but he doesn't seem to have changed his habits..

I think spreading awareness helps and is something that senior developers
should do for their juniors.

~~~
rexpop
Spreading awareness is something that management should do for their
employees, but won't because we're expendable.

~~~
BubRoss
Seems like a rash generalization instead of taking responsibility and
confronting the problem yourself.

Ergonomics is something that seems like a mystery to almost everyone. People
might pretend they have it figured because testing claims is so difficult. I
have been at companies that cared about ergonomics and would buy split
keyboards, standing desks and more if people requested them.

You can't expect other people to solve problems that most are barely aware of.

~~~
glennpratt
I couldn't disagree more about companies being unaware. I've seen more then
one smart, physically fit developer have to pull back or be reassigned from
development entirely. This is a direct loss for my employer, especially when
hiring is so difficult.

It's bewildering to me that it's not taken more seriously. Though I agree it's
not expendability.

Edit to clarify.

~~~
BubRoss
I wasn't saying companies are unaware of the problem, I'm saying they don't
realize that they aren't doing enough. I would say that it isn't at all clear
what the solutions really are. Vertical mice, elbow wrests, an expensive
chair, etc, might help, but I don't think this is something that is really
figured out, let alone mainstream knowledge.

------
adrianscott
Read John Sarno's work, also David Schechter's.

~~~
kpU8efre7r
That Healing Back Pain book helped a lot of my wrist/back pain as well as my
partner's back pain.

------
marmot777
Good stuff.

