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Personal anecdote: I used to get wrist and back pains a few years ago. The two big changes which I attribute to completely getting rid of these issue was 1) Swi

Personal anecdote: I used to get wrist and back pains a few years ago. The two big changes which I attribute to completely getting rid of these issue was 1) Switching to a Microsoft ergonomic keyboard and 2) Regular weight training 3 times a week. I also find weight training really helps me deal with stress. I highly recommend it.

snissn 9y ago
Had the same thing, but besides the MSFT keyboard I also needed an evoluent vertical mouse 4 ( not the c) for wrist pain
deleted 9y ago
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appleiigs 9y ago
For back pain, yes weight training definitely helped me too. For wrist and elbow pain from computer use, however, weight training made it worse for me. At that time I did a bit of googling and for RSI seems like rest and stopping the repetitive motions is best. The exercises irritate the same nerves. To solve the issue, I switch to a trackball instead of a mouse. (To be clear, weight training was miraculous to me when I first started, but for RSI, fix the cause)
- emelski 9y ago
  Unfortunately very many people casually lump a huge range of maladies under the umbrella of "RSI" and treat them as if they all have the same root cause and the same remedy. Wrist/arm pain could be carpal-tunnel syndrome, or it could be tendonitis, or it could be any of a bunch of other things all of which are technically "RSI". For some, strength training can certainly help; for others, as in your case, it may do more harm than help.
  - htormey 9y ago
    I totally agree. I never actually went to a Dr to get my wrist pain looked into so I don't know 100% that it was RSI. I just kind of assumed that it was based on RSI being an occupational hazard for many tech folks. Changing my keyboard got rid of the immediate pain I had been experiencing for months. I started weight lifting at around the same time. The only reason I attribute lifting as being part of the solution is that I went back to typing on my laptop again after 6 months. I now do quite a lot of typing on my laptop (90% of the software I write) and I no longer have any pain in my wrists. This advise is probably not for everyone, I just offer it up as an interesting anecdote. If you have persistant wrist pain, its probably best to go see a specialist.

snissn 9y ago

Had the same thing, but besides the MSFT keyboard I also needed an evoluent vertical mouse 4 ( not the c) for wrist pain

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

appleiigs 9y ago

For back pain, yes weight training definitely helped me too. For wrist and elbow pain from computer use, however, weight training made it worse for me. At that time I did a bit of googling and for RSI seems like rest and stopping the repetitive motions is best. The exercises irritate the same nerves. To solve the issue, I switch to a trackball instead of a mouse. (To be clear, weight training was miraculous to me when I first started, but for RSI, fix the cause)

emelski 9y ago
Unfortunately very many people casually lump a huge range of maladies under the umbrella of "RSI" and treat them as if they all have the same root cause and the same remedy. Wrist/arm pain could be carpal-tunnel syndrome, or it could be tendonitis, or it could be any of a bunch of other things all of which are technically "RSI". For some, strength training can certainly help; for others, as in your case, it may do more harm than help.
- htormey 9y ago
  I totally agree. I never actually went to a Dr to get my wrist pain looked into so I don't know 100% that it was RSI. I just kind of assumed that it was based on RSI being an occupational hazard for many tech folks. Changing my keyboard got rid of the immediate pain I had been experiencing for months. I started weight lifting at around the same time. The only reason I attribute lifting as being part of the solution is that I went back to typing on my laptop again after 6 months. I now do quite a lot of typing on my laptop (90% of the software I write) and I no longer have any pain in my wrists. This advise is probably not for everyone, I just offer it up as an interesting anecdote. If you have persistant wrist pain, its probably best to go see a specialist.