What should you know about keyboard repetitive strain injury?

Long periods of typing can keep the fingers, wrist, forearm, shoulder, or neck in one position while the hands repeat small movements. Symptoms may include aching, burning, tingling, weakness, stiffness, or pain that travels into the forearm. Repetitive strain injury is a description of an overload pattern, not a single structure or diagnosis.

Nerve compression and tendon problems can feel similar. Carpal tunnel syndrome can affect the hand through the wrist, cubital tunnel syndrome involves a nerve at the elbow, De Quervain's tenosynovitis affects thumb-side wrist tendons, and tennis elbow affects tissues around the outer elbow. An examination helps separate these possibilities.

Break up typing with brief changes of position and alternate tasks where possible. Keep the keyboard and mouse close enough that the shoulders can relax; aim for a neutral wrist rather than pressing the wrist into a hard edge. Adjust chair, desk, screen, and input-device height so you are not reaching or bending the neck for long periods.

Reduce speed or force temporarily if that provokes symptoms, and do not work through increasing numbness or weakness. Physiotherapy may use movement retraining, graded exercise, and symptom-specific treatment. A workplace ergonomic assessment can identify the load that follows you through the workday.

Arrange assessment when symptoms persist despite reasonable workload changes, interfere with sleep, or limit gripping, typing, or daily tasks. Seek prompt care for progressive weakness, constant numbness, loss of coordination, marked swelling, or pain after an injury. Sudden arm weakness with facial drooping or speech trouble is an emergency.

Ask which tissues or nerves may be involved, whether you need activity modification, and which exercises are suitable at your current stage. Ask how your workstation should be changed and what improvement or worsening should trigger a follow-up.