If you're shopping for a carpal tunnel keyboard, look for some important features. There are several to choose from depending on your needs.
And if you hands hurt while you type on a keyboard, pay attention to that pain. It could mean a problem is lurking that can be a bigger issue later on.
Hurting hands can be a sign of a progressive condition known as
carpal tunnel syndrome. Perhaps your doctor already gave you the bad news after his/her carpal tunnel test
was positive for this condition.
But most people don’t need a carpal tunnel syndrome test to know that they have this disorder. There’s plenty of information available to tell you what the hallmark symptoms are: pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in your hand and fingers.
Also, if your little finger is not affected, and most people have finger/palmar numbness or thumb pain. This usually is enough to verify you have carpal tunnel syndrome.
It means you’re like five million Americans with this disorder right now. It's a widespread medical problem of the hand with no signs of letting up.
Wear a Night Brace
At the mild stage of carpal tunnel syndrome, most people have purchased a wrist brace to wear at night. That's a great primary defense for carpal tunnel syndrome. But never wear a brace while you use your hands, like when typing. Doing so only makes your hand fight the brace, further stressing it.
Mind Your Posture
If you work at a computer and keyboard a lot and if the bracing alone doesn't help, then you must ensure your workstation is not hurting your hands. Usually, poor posture is to blame.
So be mindful of your posture. Make sure it's good while you work. Here are the major things to look for:
Keyboard and Mouse
An important aspect to a healthy workstation is good ergonomics . Many people are already aware of the need for a good, comfortable carpal tunnel keyboard or carpal tunnel mouse if they’re typing all day long. These two instruments are usually sold together or attached. But did you know there are many kinds? Read below to find out more.
Crucially, most of these ergonomic products essentially do the same thing; they create a way to minimize hand and finger movements. Most doctors will recommend them because they help - a lot!
While traditional keyboards are inexpensive, prepare to spend several hundred dollars for a good ergonomic one. And bear in mind that "expensive" does not necessarily mean "good".
There basically are four types of ergonomic keyboards, as discussed below. You should know that:
Whichever carpal tunnel keyboard you choose, look for one with a separate number pad and a palm rest. Those will help support the hands in a comfortable position.
This is a typical feature of an ergonomic keyboard. This keyboard splits the keys into two groups and separates them to minimize exaggerated hand positions. As a result, the hands fall in a more natural position.
If you notice when typing, your hands converge toward your body's midline using a regular keyboard. To compensate, you must bend your wrist sideways to align your fingers with the keys. A split keyboard requires no such wrist twisting.
A split keyboard can also be Tented. It forms a pyramid so that hands are not flat but tilted up at the thumbs. This orientation untwists arm bones as you reach and type.
To understand why this is important, lift yor arms and let your hands dangle freely. Notice that your hands are tilted inward, with the pinky being lowest. This is how the tented keyboard is oriented.
Unlike traditional keyboards with elevating feet at the rear corners (a positive incline), a negative incline keyboard lets your hands bend downward at the fingertips.
This is usually an advantage for smaller hands. However, some people with larger hands feel this increases undesirable finger extensions.
Compact keyboards are gaining polularity. This configuration brings a mouse closer in line with your shoulders by reducing the keyboard's width. Doing so reduces upper arm and shoulder stress.
A carpal tunnel keyboard is a good workstation modification to help control carpal tunnel hand pain and numbness. There are several features to look for, depending on what your needs are.
