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Coincidentally, I just started using two keyboards for related but different reasons - left-hand mousing. I started developing tendonitis in my right thumb from

Coincidentally, I just started using two keyboards for related but different reasons - left-hand mousing. I started developing tendonitis in my right thumb from mousing. Didn't matter whether mouse, pad, or ball - everything wore on it. So, I learned to mouse with my left hand, but this presented another problem - keyboard shortcuts. I found it was difficult to keep reaching over to my left side with my right hand, where most of the common keyboard shortcuts reside. I used to use my left hand for those, but moving between mouse and keyboard is also difficult. My solution was to set up a half-keyboard (aka gaming keyboard) to the right to my main keyboard. Now all my common shortcuts are easily accessible to my right hand, and it only took a few days to get used to (much less time than left hand mousing). It's working well so far.

corysama 5y ago
Similar story. I had a year where I was so productive that I typed my way into cubital tunnel syndrome. Felt like getting stabbed by needles at random points in the day. Doc said I needed surgery. Instead I changed my routine dramatically for a few months. 1. "Essential Hand Stretches For Guitarists or Any Instrumentalist" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSrfB7JIzxY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSrfB7JIzxY before, during and after typing. 2. When typing, hold my hands out limp like a zombie and move my whole arms and torso to hit the keys with limp middle fingers. 3. 2 keyboards. 2 mice. One set in the normal placement. Another keyboard in my lap. Another mouse on a pedestal to the left of my chair. Switch which device I'm using every few minutes. In a few months the pain was gone and hasn't come back. I still get a bit tingly a decade later if I type a lot. But, besides that one year, I've always spent way more time reading code and thinking about code than actually typing code.
- stronglikedan 5y ago
  Thanks for the exercises - I'll give them a shot. I'm also now doing the zombie typing thing, but not quite used to it yet. I wish I would have learned my lesson from my high school typing teacher, who would whack our arms with a ruler if we were resting our wrists on anything. And, yeah, switching between multiple devices too: regular mouse, vertical mouse, track pad and trackball. That started with something I read along the lines of "the best ergonomic position is the next position".

corysama 5y ago

Similar story. I had a year where I was so productive that I typed my way into cubital tunnel syndrome. Felt like getting stabbed by needles at random points in the day. Doc said I needed surgery. Instead I changed my routine dramatically for a few months. 1. "Essential Hand Stretches For Guitarists or Any Instrumentalist" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSrfB7JIzxY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSrfB7JIzxY before, during and after typing. 2. When typing, hold my hands out limp like a zombie and move my whole arms and torso to hit the keys with limp middle fingers. 3. 2 keyboards. 2 mice. One set in the normal placement. Another keyboard in my lap. Another mouse on a pedestal to the left of my chair. Switch which device I'm using every few minutes. In a few months the pain was gone and hasn't come back. I still get a bit tingly a decade later if I type a lot. But, besides that one year, I've always spent way more time reading code and thinking about code than actually typing code.

stronglikedan 5y ago
Thanks for the exercises - I'll give them a shot. I'm also now doing the zombie typing thing, but not quite used to it yet. I wish I would have learned my lesson from my high school typing teacher, who would whack our arms with a ruler if we were resting our wrists on anything. And, yeah, switching between multiple devices too: regular mouse, vertical mouse, track pad and trackball. That started with something I read along the lines of "the best ergonomic position is the next position".