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Do I Need a Wrist Rest for my Mouse Pad and Keyboard?
Michael Pollick
Michael Pollick
There is a growing debate among ergonomic and occupational health experts over the actual need for a wrist rest to perform keyboard and computer mouse work safely. One school of thought suggests that wrist rests do help align the user's hands and wrists while typing or mousing, while another suggests that they may encourage users to relax their hand positions too much while typing. Instead of decreasing the number and severity of carpal tunnel injuries, an improperly used rest may actually cause more repetitive stress injuries (RSI) for those who type or mouse for extended periods of time.
A wrist rest, especially a gel-filled one, is certainly better than no support at all. Without any form of support, a keyboard or mouse user tends to experience hand and wrist fatigue relatively soon. The user's unsupported wrists and lower hand may fall below the level of the keyboard, which is an especially dangerous position for repetitive typing. The rest also provides a soft cushion for the wrists, instead of an unforgiving desktop surface or no surface at all.
One of the main concerns about the use of a wrist rest, however, concerns the idea of the user resting his or her hands at all while actively typing or mousing. Proper typing technique stresses the importance of bending or cupping the hands in order for the fingers to strike the keys at a downward angle. If the user's wrists are resting on a pad while typing, the fingers must reach for the keys at a more stressful angle. For this reason, many occupational health experts suggest only using a keyboard or mouse wrist rest between typing and mousing sessions. The user's wrists should not touch the pad during active typing.
The same philosophy holds true for a mouse pad rest. A padded wrist rest may help keep the wrist to stay in alignment with the hand, but the entire hand and wrist need to move as one unit directed from the user's shoulders. Flicking or pushing the mouse with the fingers or wrist alone is considered improper mousing form and can lead to inflammation of the upper back and neck muscles. While carpal tunnel syndrome may be the most common office-related injury, the second-most reported injury is an inflamed trapezius muscle often caused by improper mousing techniques.
Installing a wrist rest for a computer keyboard or mouse is not inherently a bad idea, considering how uncomfortable it can be not to have any support for the wrists at all. But if you plan on doing extensive typing or mousing work, you may want to take a refresher course on proper typing and mousing techniques. Putting too much pressure on the bottom of your wrist can cause damage similar to carpal tunnel syndrome, and it can be difficult to resist pushing your wrist down on the wrist rest while typing.
Michael Pollick
A regular EasyTechJunkie contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.
Learn more...
Michael Pollick
A regular EasyTechJunkie contributor, Michael enjoys doing research in order to satisfy his wide-ranging curiosity about a variety of arcane topics. Before becoming a professional writer, Michael worked as an English tutor, poet, voice-over artist, and DJ.
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![A wrist rest may be helpful in preventing hand and wrist fatigue during computer work.]()
By: uwimagesA wrist rest may be helpful in preventing hand and wrist fatigue during computer work. -
![Improperly used wrist rests may cause repetitive stress injuries for individuals who type for extended periods of time.]()
By: JPC-PRODImproperly used wrist rests may cause repetitive stress injuries for individuals who type for extended periods of time. -
![A laptop with a built-in wrist rest.]()
By: NOBUA laptop with a built-in wrist rest. -
![Carpal tunnel is the most common office-related injury.]()
By: maticsandraCarpal tunnel is the most common office-related injury. -
![A wrist brace may be worn to alleviate the pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.]()
By: mady70A wrist brace may be worn to alleviate the pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Discussion Comments
I believe I have solved this issue, or at least made a better product (in many ways) to the traditional wrist rest pad. It's called
Arm-madillo and is out on Kickstarter right now.
The use of a wrist rest isn't supported by current research, it tends to promote people fixing their wrist on the pad and creates stress in the radiocarpal joint as people tend to make small movements in the area as opposed to using their full range of motion of their arm.
I would not, as previous posters have suggested, recommend a gel pad. Rather, I would recommend a good, adjustable keyboard tray and focus on good body mechanics and neutral positioning. Having a keyboard lying flat or on a negative tilt away from the worker is more beneficial.
I'd say you just need an ergonomic keyboard; I'd recommend the Fellowes 98915. It isn't necessarily good for the gamers out there, but for those of us on the computer every day for work it's a must.
It's worth mentioning that if you already have good hand posture while typing, then you don't need a wrist rest. Also, if you have bad hand posture while using a wrist rest, then the rest isn't helping you at all.
is the macbook pro with pad more or less likely to cause carpal tunnel syndrome?
@wecallherana - gameaddicted is right about the study of Ergonomics. You will find that there are "proper" lighting issues, monitor heights, and keyboard heights. In addition to that, Ergonomics goes far beyond the keyboard and further into everyday life with the use of Ergonomic kitchen utensils and such.
That being said, I'm a writer and have abused my poor wrists badly enough that I have to wear a brace from the lack of using one of those gel mouse wrist rests... It's painful and eventually I will need surgery also, so you should definitely consider buying wrist rests. They might be uncomfortable at first, but you get used to them.
Ergonomics is a great study and anyone who has some spare time should read up on it, first of all. I studied Ergonomics as a class for Interior Design and it was very interesting.
Aside from that, not using things like a wrist rest pad can be detrimental to the nerve that runs through the Carpal Tunnel, pinching and even potentially severing it. This can quite easily lead to having to wear a wrist brace for support or worse - surgery to decompress the nerve - Ouch!
@gameaddicted - You mention that wrist rests can prevent surgery, but surgery for what? Can it really be that serious if I don't use one of those gel wrist rests?
Working with a wrist rest might seem unusual or uncomfortable at first and most people will write off ergonomics completely after just one uncomfortable experience. However, most people also don't like the "new feel" that ergonomics gives because it's just that - new and strays from their normal position.
An ergonomic wrist rest(say that three times fast!) is a big comfort and can prevent all kinds of bad things from happening - including surgery later on in life.
You mention at the start RSI (Repetitive Stress Injury). I must correct this as it is wrong, it is in fact Repetitive Strain Injury.
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