Study Refutes Keyboard, Carpal Link

Study Refutes Keyboard, Carpal Link
By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

A report released Wednesday by the Harvard Medical School may turn some common assumptions about computer usage on their head. According to the report, titled "Hands: Strategies for Strong, Pain-Free Hands," heavy keyboarding may not be responsible for incidences of carpal tunnel syndrome after all.

Carpal tunnel is caused when nerves in the wrist are pinched, however it's not caused by frequent use of a keyboard, claims the report. Instead, it is caused by heredity, body weight, fracture, or even pregnancy.

Debate amongst yourselves - but it is not the first report of this kind I have read over the years. Personally I find using the mouse to be more painful than typing. My wife developed nearly debilitating wrist pain during each of her pregnancies. The MIT ATIC maintains a good page of information on RSI - check it out. And while you are at it - Take the advice of Gaeir and Alan Cantor and learn those keyboard commands! Should you be a visual learner - that's OK too.