Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) results from the compression of the median nerve within a narrow passageway in the wrist. This compression is typically caused by inflammation and swelling of the tendons that share the confined space with the nerve. Prolonged, repetitive movements like typing and using a mouse, especially with an awkward wrist posture, contribute significantly to this irritation. Adjusting your workspace and work habits is necessary to relieve this pressure and prevent the tingling, numbness, and pain associated with CTS.
Optimizing Your Workstation Setup
The physical placement and type of your computer hardware directly influence the amount of strain placed on your wrists and forearms. Specialized equipment helps maintain a neutral wrist position, where the wrist is straight and aligned with the forearm. For example, a split or tented keyboard reduces the need for the wrists to bend outward or flatten against the desk, accommodating a more natural angle for the hands. Some keyboards offer a negative incline, which slightly tilts the board away from you, reducing extension.
The design of your mouse is equally important, as traditional mice force the forearm to twist unnaturally toward the desk surface. Vertical mice are designed to orient the wrist into a “handshake” position, which significantly reduces forearm pronation and muscle fatigue. A trackball mouse is another option, minimizing wrist movement entirely by allowing you to control the cursor with your thumb or fingers.
Your chair and monitor must also be correctly positioned to support a healthy upper body posture that minimizes tension traveling down to your wrists. The top of your monitor screen should be positioned at or slightly below eye level, preventing you from constantly tilting your head down, which can strain the neck and shoulders. Your chair height should be adjusted so your feet rest flat on the floor and your elbows are bent at a comfortable 90- to 100-degree angle when your hands are on the keyboard. This setup ensures your forearms are parallel to the floor, aligning the wrist neutrally.
Maintaining Proper Body Alignment
While specialized equipment helps, the way you use it determines its effectiveness in preventing strain. When typing or mousing, keep your wrists straight, avoiding any upward or downward bending that compresses the median nerve. The concept of “floating” your hands above the keyboard is beneficial, using your entire arm to move rather than pivoting at the wrist.
Wrist rests should be used only during pauses to briefly support the weight of your hands, not while actively typing or moving the mouse. Resting the wrist on a palm rest or the sharp edge of a desk while performing repetitive tasks can increase pressure directly on the carpal tunnel area. Ensure your elbows are kept close to the sides of your body and your shoulders are completely relaxed. This supported shoulder position prevents muscle tension from transferring into the forearms and wrists.
Integrating Movement and Breaks
Regular movement counteracts the cumulative stress of static postures and repetitive motions. Micro-breaks should be implemented approximately every 20 to 30 minutes, lasting just 30 to 60 seconds. These brief pauses allow tissues to recover and interrupt the repetitive cycles that lead to strain. Shaking your hands loosely at your sides for a few seconds promotes circulation and relieves immediate tension.
Integrating specific stretches helps maintain flexibility in the tendons and nerves that pass through the carpal tunnel. The prayer stretch, or wrist flexor stretch, involves pressing your palms together with fingers pointing up and then slowly lowering your hands toward your waist until you feel a gentle pull along the underside of your forearms. A complementary movement is the wrist extensor stretch, where you extend one arm with the palm facing down and gently press the back of that hand downward with your other hand. Both stretches should be held for 15 to 30 seconds and repeated a few times.
Another specific technique is the median nerve gliding exercise, which is designed to help the nerve move freely within the wrist. This involves a sequence of movements, such as making a fist, extending the fingers while keeping the wrist bent, and then extending the wrist back with fingers straight.
Alternating between tasks that rely heavily on the mouse and those that require more keyboard use can also naturally pace your workload. A longer break of five to ten minutes should be taken every hour to get up, walk around, and perform a full-body stretch, relieving the entire musculoskeletal system of sustained tension.