Preventing wrist/hand injuries longterm
With NotN just a few days away, I wanted to give some more concrete and longterm advice to my fellow FR players who worry about the health of their wrists/hands.
I am an artist and do most of my work on my PC. I've had RSIs that have come and gone over the years, and was once tested for junior arthritis because of how much I use them. This is my advice on what has helped me maintain my ability to type/coli for hours:
Vertical Mice. Part of the reason constant mouse use causes RSIs is because its twisting the bones of the lower arm. Vertical mice allow the arm to maintain its prone handshake position. This is the single biggest change I made, and using one has cut down my wrist pain by close to 75% just on its own.
Mechanical Keyboards. Most keyboards are what are called "rubber dome" style boards. To spare the details, the physical impact of typing on these keys contributes a lot to hand/finger fatigue and the condition known as trigger finger. Mechanical keyboards use springs which are much smoother, and specific stem types can reduce this even further. If this is a specific concern of yours, you'll probably want to look for a keyboard advertised as having red switches (the most common way you'll see this written is 'cherry mx reds')
A good office chair. Yeah, I'm serious. Remember what I said about how computer mice twist your arms and make them hurt? The way you sit can do it too. You want your keyboard and mouse such that when you bend your arms neutrally at your sides, they're right there without having to reach. If your desk is tall, consider getting a keyboard tray to put beneath it. Getting a good chair will also help your back, neck, and hips if those bother you.
Obviously, you should also take breaks, use hand putty, etc. to avoid overworking your body! But even without changing my habits much, these have helped a lot in reducing both discomfort and injuries.
