Re:symptoms (Score 4)

I've been programming for about 25 years (at least, getting paid for it that long) and have had tendinitis/carpal/medial/ulnar nerve problems off and on for several years.

Soreness (horribly so) is generally a sign of tendinitis, but it's when fingers start to go numb, or tingle, that's when one of the tunnels are getting too crowded. I've had a few rounds of therapy, but the one that has helped the most has been re-learning how to type. My therapist/teacher was a pianist who had CTS and had to relearn, then discovered she could make a fair living helping geeks and nerds.

The basic method is described in _The Hand Book_ ISBN 1-884388-01-9, but the short summary is to use the largest muscles to do the job that you can. The catchphrase is to use hands "as paws, not claws". Your hands should be moving all over the keyboard, with the fingertips only moving up and down. I find it tough to do all the time, but it's usually OK.

I've had nerve damage (the mylograph method of determining this is one of the more uncomfortable methods of medical torture), but it's holding steady.

As far as equipment is concerned, some things will help, but bad technique is stronger than bad equipment. I have a few old pointing devices that didn't make the cut....

What has worked: The Microsoft "Classic" natural keyboard--have one at home and another at work on my workstation, as well as one of the smaller "elite" ones on a barely used computer at home. I find the Contour Mouse to be the best bet for me, mostly because I have really large hands and most desk rodents are too tiny. (The HP mice on workstations are horrible.) The backup computer has a Microsoft mouse--it's tolerable for a while. Other computers at work use standard keyboards and mice, and I get by.

BTW, going to voice recognition software can lead to a strained set of vocal cords. I was thinking of foot-rodents until I figured out that I'd be trading wrist problems for ankle problems....

Bottom line: surgery works, but there's a lot you can do before it comes necessary. My aunt lives in the wilds of southern Michigan and had to have both wrists done simultaneously. She said it was, er, interesting.

Pete (got no sig worth noting)