I'm beginning to have some carpal tunnel pain brought on by heavy keyboard/phone use and my weight lifting regimen. What is it about the Cherry MX blue switch keyboards (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823201...) that helps with RSI? Just looking at it, it appears like it would be even harder on my wrists.
A "rubber dome" or membrane keyboard requires the typer to press the dome all the way down to trigger the key press. On a mechanical keyboard, it is a mechanical switch to trigger the keypress. On Cherry MX blacks greens and reds, there is no feedback when you have pressed the key. However on a blue or a brown there is a tactile "bump" when the press is registered. Critically this happens before the key "bottoms out" or hits the bottom of the switch groove, so you can release the key before that second strike occurs on your fingertip. With the blues, the "activation point" as it's called makes a loud click as well as the tactile bump, so as you get used to typing on them, you'll release right after the click.
I'm not sure of the effects of mechanical keyboards with regard to RSI, but if you're a hard typer, they might help train your hands to not bottom out the keys.
The pressure curve and click placement on Cherry MX blues are generally conducive to learning to not bottom out on the keys and apply the proper amount of pressure to the key.
Bottoming out on the keys and using excessive force because of a lack of tactile feedback on the keypress are leading causes of injuries, because they provide a sudden jolt (when the key stops moving, but your finger doesn't) and unnecessary strain (to generate the extra force). Bottoming out in particular is bad, because you end up momentarily pressing against the keyboard frame with the full force you pressed down on the key, doing nothing but straining your wrist, while if you stop the downstroking on a spring loaded key before bottoming out, you'll end up stopping your motion in a cushioned manner (and the key assists a little bit in retraction).
I'm not sure that I really agree that a good mechanical keyboard is better than a good rubber dome keyboard for people with RSI. The key word there is "good."
The thing about rubber dome keyboards is that they are the cheapest kind of keyboard. So you'll find a lot of absolutely awful ones out there. For example, you'll find ones where the amount of force you need to push in the key is unpredictable (keys feel "sticky"). You'll find ones where it takes too much time for the keys to come back up after they're pushed down. You'll find keyboards that have almost no weight, so you can't type without moving around the keyboard.
In contrast, people pay $100-$200 for a mechanical keyboard (they are a specialty item) and the build quality reflects that. For that money, you usually get something which has a weight in it (so it doesn't feel like you're typing on a hollow plastic shell), has reasonable ergonomics, and key action that is at least tolerable.
I find that I am a heavy typer (I press the keys hard) and I could never get used to mechanical keyboards. I was always "bottoming out." Unfortunately, the hard stop on a mechanical is even harder than the hard stop on a rubber dome. It's like hitting a wall. There are mods you can make to mechanicals to fix this, but you have to do it yourself. (For example, you can put rubber bands underneath each key, to get a more gradual stop when you bottom out.)
Right now I use a good quality rubber dome keyboard with an included trackpad. I find that keeping the keyboard in the correct position on my lap is a lot easier when I don't need a keyboard tray. It really is all about ergonomics.
My advice to you would be to stop lifting weights for a while. Just use machines or something to avoid putting pressure on your wrists. And then get a good quality keyboard. You will need to try it out before you find the right one for you. You'll probably have to order a few online before you find one you like. You will also need to start using good typing posture so be sure to research that.
Thanks for the response. I actually picked up some schiek wrist wraps and they are definitely helping on the weights front. I'll look into typing postures today.
You shouldn't use wrist wraps while you're typing. They're strictly for use when you're sleeping or otherwise relaxing. There's a lot of misinformation and bogus products out there about RSI... my advice to you is to read a book by a good doctor, like Dr. Pascarelli's Complete Guide to RSI (http://www.amazon.com/Pascarellis-Complete-Repetitive-Strain...)
In my experience it's not the difficulty of the key press that is the source of the problem. For me, it's "bottoming out". Without the tactile feedback (and maybe the sound, too) it's too easy for me to press a key "too hard" when typing at full speed and have my finger brought to a full-stop hitting the bottom.
I'm not sure of the effects of mechanical keyboards with regard to RSI, but if you're a hard typer, they might help train your hands to not bottom out the keys.
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