Over the last 3 years, I've struggled to control my RSI in my right wrist (repetetive strain injury, sometimes called carpel tunnel when it's in this area). Though this time, I have been able to identify activities that create the most problems, and I have experimented with several things to improve the problem. I'm hoping by sharing my experience, that someone else may be able to find relief.
What Seems To Cause the Issue
Lots of Mouse Use
If I'm doing work that requires a lot of precise mouse movements and clicks (ie low code platforms like Azure Data Factory), it will flare up the issue. If I push through the numbness, it will become a burning pain.
Driving My Minivan
Luckily this is not true for normal, daily driving, but longer trips like 8 hours jogs to Orlando will flare up pain in my wrist. I haven't quite figured out if it's the angle that I hold the wheel, or that the lane keep assist provide more resistance than an older, dumb vehicle (like our '05 4runner), but I am lucky to have a wonder wife who is willing to massage it when it gets bad.
Preventative Measures I've Taken
Better Keyboard
Although the primarily contributor to the pain is the mouse, using a keyboard with a shallow action before it bottoms out will make the pain show up much faster (I still notice this if I'm using the laptop). At home, I switched to a Keychron K8 with brown switches (not super duper loud so I don't annoy my wife). At work, I had them get some cheap 88 key keyboard with blue switches (same layout as the keycrhon). I'm a big fan of the feel of a mechanical keyboard, and the toddler is a big fan of the Keychron's backlighting.
Better Pointer Devices
I've testing a couple different things to reduce the pain from using a pointing device like a mouse. The first thing I tried in my home setup was to use an right handed ergonomic mouse (very simular to this one). This mouse definately worked better than a traditional mouse, but the weight created some other problems with fast precision and fatigue. The design also makes it impossible to switch between hands as another approach to control the pain.
Recently at work, I ordered a symetrical track ball. It took a bit to get used to it and dial in the sensitiviy, but I like it overall. I can potentially set it up to use with my left hand, which is another approach I can take to reduce the pain. I do find myself putting my hand in an awkward position to click with my index finger which I think could be reduced/eliminated with a tilted design, but that would eliminate the ability to switch hands. I also found the buttons to be a bit still to click.
I think the best device would be a dome shape capacitive (touch) surface to control the pointer position (a cross between a touch bad and a ball nouse) with variable tensions/force required for the button clicks.
Use Wrist Brace
I bought a reasonably priced wrist brace from everyone's favorite Arkansas based retail store. The brace helps stabilize the wrist and help prevent bad habbits and wrist angles.
Things You Can Do To Reduce the Pain Once It Shows Up
Aleve
My doctor told me to use Aleve both as pain relief as well as an anti-inflamitory. She said that inflamation in the wrist can cause long-term damage, so it's better to take an anti-inflamitory even if the pain is barable.
The Megaman Hand Squeeze Squeeze
My wonderful wife bought me the hand massager after I heard it recommended on Coding Blocks. It used a combination of heat, vibration, and it's worked quite well for me.
STOP!!
If I'm in the middle of some heavy click action, switching to a less clicky task or going outside to play with the dog is a huge help to keep the pain in check. I've also found that taking breaks helps clear my head, which makes me more effective overall.
