As I rest my weary wrists on my notebook's keyboard, trying to think of the next sentence to type, I feel the dull ache of a long day animating at work, and then a lifetime of professional computer life behind that. Never did I figure it would get as bad as all the stories I've heard from friends and colleagues. "Carpal tunnel syndrome is not an option."

But like it or not, I'm on the train heading straight for that very tunnel. And if you're a computer professional and you're not terribly careful, so may you be. Maybe we could have drinks in the dining car, wrap our hands around soothingly cold cocktails, and bitch about our aching wrists?

Yeah well, I'd rather not. No offense, or nuthin, but I'd much rather face the music, drop
the denial and figure out what I can do to reduce my wrist risk.

So, lately, I've been much more conscious of what I do with my hands, perhaps even more so than my dates. From what I've gathered, and this is far from medical fact, carpal tunnel and other similar wrist and hand discomforts occur from frequent and repetitive tasks, such as typing or mouse manipulation. These tasks put pressure on the tendons that connect up to the muscles in the hand being used. Some of these run through tunnels in the carpal bones in the wrists and become inflamed and rub against the bone. Any doctors in the house? Am I close? Well, regardless of the specifics, it sucks ass.

I have always frequently taken breaks from my workstation, to get up to stretch my nubby legs and slumped back and to rest my eyes from the screen of glowing cancer I stare at for 10 hours a day. But recently, in the interest of my aching wrists, I started exercising and stretching them along with my legs and back as well.

It's not something that you may think to do consciously, but it's become a very important regimen for me now. And, it has been quite a big help. I've noticed a lesser frequency of discomfort and an increased time at the mouse without getting tired. I typically use an exercise from my days in college fencing, seems to be great for strengthening not only the wrists, but also the fingers as well. You can do this sitting at your desk or standing. Let your arms down at your  sides and make fists with your hands. Then, shoot your fingers out to make "jazz hands," or like you're denoting the number five, making sure your fingers are spread and fully extended. Then, just as quickly, retract them back to a relaxed fist and repeat.

I probably do this about ten times, and then I move my arms up in front of me, parallel to the floor, and repeat, then to swing them out to the sides like wings for ten reps and then finally to raise them up above my head for a final ten reps. You should feel it in your forearms and fingers. Makes you look like an idiot, but it works nicely.

It should help strengthen and stretch the muscles you use most when you're at your workstation. And that, at least in my case, seems to help with the carpal tunnel symptoms. Now, I do have to mention that if you have acute pain or discomfort in your wrists, you need to check with a doctor and begin some form of treatment or regimen. The important part of all of this is not to ignore a potential problem like this, and to tend to it before it gets really bad.

 Furthermore, how you sit says a lot about how you feel. The way you hold your mouse arm is of terrific importance in my opinion. Having a bent wrist at the mouse or at the keyboard is not good. You want your hand to be level, with as little bend as possible.

This means you need to sit at the right height for your table. It also means you need to support your elbow. I can't believe more people don't support their elbow of their mouse arm. It is so important to have a place to rest it, to let that joint be the pivot point for your forearm movement in moving the mouse.

I find it far more comfortable to move the mouse with a relatively immobile wrist with my entire forearm pivoting on my elbow, which rests either on my chair's arm rest or on a soft cover book or mouse pad on the table. And I find it helps keep the carpal tunnel syndrome at bay by taking most of the movement out of my already beleaguered wrist.

The only way to avoid wrist injury, honestly, is to quit your job, move to a ranch out in the Midwest and hang your arms out to dry. That's not really an option for most people, so take care of them. Above all, listen to your body and do what it asks.

 Be comfortable.