Re:Tried 'em, can't deal with 'em (Score 2)

I also had RSI symptoms, and was fortunate enough to see several specialists in Silicon Valley who told me that keeping your arms and wrists in the same position is DETRIMENTAL to your condition. The key to healing repetitive stress injuries (especially tendonitis) is blood flow. Holding your arms out even slightly from your body causes your shoulder muscles to contract, which restricts blood flow down your arms, impeding any healing or your RSI. Most "ergonomic" devices involve wrist rests and arm holders that cause you to type by wiggling your fingers and not moving your arms and wrists freely. This also restricts blood flow, but more seriously, it makes your tendons work even harder by making you flex your fingers more than normal. The best way to type is by having relaxed shoulders and by moving your whole arm as you go from row to row on the keyboard. Adopting a piano-playing-like rhythm and movement greatly reduces risk of RSI as well.