How to Fix Wrist Pain from Typing All Day at a Computer

A high percentage of working Americans are at a computer all day. Think about a full-time office worker that works 8 hours a day. That equals over 2,000 hours per year.

Repetitive tasks like writing, typing, and mouse clicking resulted in a lot of wrist pain for me. Another common posture mistake was the position of my wrists. Hands have a lot of muscles in them. But that means they also have a lot of tendons. In my experience, the smaller the muscles, the quicker this overuse leads to pain and repetitive strain injuries.

This pain would negatively impact my productivity, mood, and overall quality of life. It didn’t just hurt when I was at my desk. It hurt when I was lifting weights, playing sports, even when I got home at night.

How to Fix Wrist Pain from Typing All Day at a Computer

This article will talk about what caused my wrist pain, which may come as a surprise. Hint: it’s not just the act of typing.

Then, I’ll share my practical and effective tips on how I fixed my wrist pain from typing all day. I’ll share my personal experience, keeping the information to a minimal level. Which is how I think the most helpful and informative content should be.

Can Typing Cause Wrist Pain

Typing definitely caused carpal tunnel syndrome in my case. I thought it was a repetitive strain injury that came along with the job. I thought there was no way to avoid it.

But ironically, I learned to prevent wrist pain by accident. Years ago, I was working remotely on a public computer for about a week. That computer was an Apple Mac. It had a flat, low-profile keyboard and mouse. As soon as I sat down, I noticed how much better my wrists felt. Because they weren’t extended and bent upwards (to place my hands on a tall keyboard). Instead, my wrists were straight, in a neutral position.

After working on that computer for a few days, my wrist pain was completely gone. All because of one small change (using new flat, ergonomic keyboard and mouse).

The act of hitting keys with my fingers didn’t cause my wrist pain. It was not keeping my wrist in a neutral position. My wrists were extended upwards, in order to lift my hands up onto a tall keyboard and mouse. This could’ve been a laptop keyboard, or an outdated, tall, bulky keyboard.

How to Relieve Wrist Pain from Doing Computer Work

I take a break from typing and clicking every 30 minutes.

If you sit at your desk for hours at a time, it can cause excessive stress on your wrists. This used to cause me pain, tingling or numbness. I always take micro breaks, to get up, get in some movement, get my blood flowing, and refill my water.

I use a flat, ergonomic keyboard and mouse.

These are 2 of the most valuable ergonomic devices I use for how to improve posture while sitting at computer. Side note: another would be an external monitor to prevent laptop neck pain.

Alternatively, 2 non-ergonomic devices that caused me wrist pain include a laptop keyboard and a tall, bulky keyboard. I no longer use either of these. Because they caused me to hold my wrists in an extended position (in order to lift my hands up higher onto the keyboard).

Using an ergonomic keyboard and mouse is the most valuable way I’ve found to relieve wrist pain. Ironically, I learned this by accident. I was working in a library on a shared computer for a few days in a row. It was the first time I ever used a flat, low-profile keyboard and mouse. After a few days, I was no longer experiencing wrist pain. Because this flat, ergonomic keyboard allowed me to keep my wrists straight. Which leads me to my final hand and wrist pain tip…

I keep my wrists straight when typing (not bent up or down).

Since I started using this neutral position, I no longer experience wrist pain. No more pain numbness in my median nerve. No more having to apply ice to my wrists.

As far as the wrist pain I used to have, I continue to practice these small changes daily. It’s wild how a couple simple posture tips can lead to massive results in decreasing my computer-related pain and improve posture at computer.

If you liked this article, you’ll love my Computer Posture Checklist.