I've dealt with RSI and carpal tunnel syndrome for almost two decades, off and on. Some of my triggers are chairs with arms (I almost can't help but lean on the

I've dealt with RSI and carpal tunnel syndrome for almost two decades, off and on. Some of my triggers are chairs with arms (I almost can't help but lean on them, making my posture horrible and disrupting blood flow), bad weather (rain and cold), stress, depression (all pain is worse when you're depressed). My first real recovery came when I got an Aeron and lowered the arms enough to where I couldn't lean on them, switched to a tiling window manager and stopped using the mouse (I am back to normal mouse and window manager these days, but when I feel the twinges of pain, I will sometimes switch back), and fixing the source of some of my stress (money was a stresser back then, and I took a contract job that paid well and got my debts paid off and some savings in the bank, so I could get back to working on the stuff I wanted to work on). I don't know which of these things was the real cure, though I do know that using a chair with arms I can lean on is the fastest way to bring the pain back. I suspect it is never "cured", it's just managed. Since figuring out my triggers it's been rare that I've experienced the pain for more than a few hours or days, and taking a walk, massaging my hands and wrists, etc. can usually get me back to work.