I am afraid this might worsen but I am required to type as part of my job.
Hi!
If you experience musculoskeletal pain and discomfort now, or while completing the Typesy Course, you may need to seek professional help. Only someone with the proper training can accurately diagnosis the source of your pain or discomfort and recommend a treatment plan that may or may not include ergonomics.
Best Regards,
Aidan Bernales
Community Moderator at Typesy
Hello there, @ilaydapatridge!
The bad news is you’re right - without intervention, your pain will worsen. Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can ensure you’re doing the best you can. Learning to touch type (over other methods) is one way since the process will cover proper posture.
I can personally attest to just how much knowing proper positioning and hand placement relieves discomfort due to nerve damage. I personally suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in my right wrist. When it flares up, due to over activity, typing can certainly become uncomfortable.
Whenever I can start to feel a flare up coming on, I simply wear a wrist brace for a few days. A metal bar in the brace keeps my wrist in a neutral position. Giving my wrist a break from movement for a couple of days always seems to take care of the problem. I’ll sometimes wear the brace preemptively as well, if I know I will be moving my hands and arms a lot, like, if I know I’m in for a long day of typing.
You can also look into specialized equipment. Ergonomics focuses on how best to design a workplace that allows for ultimate safety and efficiency. If you search for “ergonomic keyboard” or “ergonomic desk,” you will be sure to find plenty of products suited to make you more comfortable when typing.
However, if you are not interested in purchasing any additional equipment, there are ways to ensure you are working with what you have in the most comfortable way. Many detached keyboards have extendable legs, but it actually makes more ergonomic sense to keep keyboards flat against the surface of the desk. Wrist pads may come in handy when it’s time to rest, but their presence may entice you to develop bad posture when typing. For proper hand placement, the wrist should remain neutral, bent slightly upwards. Having the keyboard tipped up or having a wrist pad may cause your students to angle their wrists too harshly. It may be repeated misuse of the keyboard that is causing you discomfort.
I am no stranger to physical strains from too much typing, but reading up on proper posture and hand positioning has done wonders to reverse years of damage!
Regards,
Alex (The Reimagined Classroom Teacher)