Your wrists are hurting. You buy a wrist rest. Problem solved? Maybe not. Most people don’t need to use wrist rests in front of their keyboards and almost no one needs one for the computer mouse. In fact, you may actually make your pain worse by using a wrist rest.
Admittedly, the term “wrist rest” is confusing. You see, planting your wrists on something immovable while actively keying and mousing is not actually resting. In fact, it increases the movement of the wrists through the action of pivoting. Pivoting the wrists is considered an awkward and repetitive motion which is a risk factor for pain and injury.
To make matters worse, a wrist rest can increase the reach to the keyboard and mouse. Thus, it may take you out of that recommended and most comfortable position of having your elbows resting near your sides. This is especially true relative to the mouse, which is already too far away for many people. Once you are reaching too far, your arms will feel heavy and you will need to rest them. Putting your arms down on the wrist rest to give your shoulders a break leads to more pivoting while moving your hands on the keyboard and mouse.
And, for the final insult, resting the palm side of the wrists on a surface for long periods can compress the sensitive structures of the carpal tunnel. This creates further risk of problems.
Solutions:
ο Make sure your keyboard and mouse are at the proper height (usually at elbow level) and close enough to you to avoid reaching.
ο Be diligent about your positioning and technique while keying and mousing (see http://www.pacificcoastergo.com/articles.htm for more information).
ο Avoid using a wrist rest in front of the mouse.
ο If you use the wrist rest in front of the keyboard, float your wrists above it, using it only as a reminder to keep your wrists in neutral (straight) positions while you work, and as a soft spot on which to rest when not actively keying. During these momentary breaks from the keyboard, rest the sides of your hands on the wrist rest or work surface, or relax them in your lap.
