I developed bilateral De Quervain syndrome (tendinitis in the wrists, starting near the thumb, spreading across the wrist) in college. I went out into the work

I developed bilateral De Quervain syndrome (tendinitis in the wrists, starting near the thumb, spreading across the wrist) in college. I went out into the work field and suffered so much pain that I could barely shift my car on the way home from work. I was absolutely panicked. I got physical therapy (where they told me the exact type of tendinitis I had), learned stretches, did strengthening exercises, and started tracking down better keyboards. In the end, the Kinesis Classic contoured keyboard proved to be the one that saved my wrists. You'd be amazed at how much of a difference consistent, light keystrokes make. The other major element was stretching and light friction massage. By working on several wrist stretching exercises throughout the day, and making them part of my unconscious routine, my pain was alleviated within about six months. I also wore high quality wrist braces for the first couple of months, which provides an important rest for your joints. Several years later, I discovered rock climbing. As pointed out by another commenter, this is fantastic for wrist health. The stretching and strengthening of the wrist (while having fun) is hard to match anywhere. Within about two months of beginning rock climbing, I ceased to have any wrist pain at any time. Not even a twinge. Another few years later, I developed a bulged disc in my neck (ironically, it may have been initiated by a couple of preventable climbing accidents!). The entire left side of my neck and left shoulder became a bundle of tensed muscle, in a vicious cycle of self-defeating automatic body response to injury. The solution was ultimately to do more things that improved my posture. I've done weight training, focusing on my back and rear shoulders, and perhaps most importantly I've started walking more. Walking has an almost magical ability to reset your posture, provided you break out of your old habits of slouching. The other huge key for me was a Steelcase Criterium chair. The amount of relief provided to my neck and shoulders by having proper back and elbow support is simply indescribably. If I point out that someone is slouching, or using devices that are an ergonomic catastrophe, many people respond with things like, "but I've been sitting like this for years without any problem." Well, I used to think that, too. Certainly, there are people who go their entire career slouching, leaning, and mousing on their outstretched arms. But here's the catch: you don't really know if you're prone to these issues until you've already developed them. So, for the sake of your future, I encourage all of you to 1) exercise 2) stretch and 3) get an ergonomic setup and use it properly.