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The reason is that if you ‘rest’ your ‘wrist’ on any type of support, be it foam, gel, webbing, cloth, etc. This fact sheet from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety provides a balanced view of wrist rests along with practical usage tips.Īccording to Ergo Canada, “In the vast majority of cases, wrist rests do not provide any significant ergonomic benefit and in fact will usually increase the number of risk factors for injury in your computer workstation. This section on wrist rests provides quick tips, potential hazards, and possible solutions. OSHA’s Computer Workstations eTool provides guidance for a wide range of office ergonomics tools and products. Do your arms and wrists rest upon surface areas (arm rests, wrist rests, desktop) absent any sharp or hard edges?.Does the placement of the mouse allow for a neutral wrist posture so your hand is in a straight line with forearm (not bent up/down or sideways toward little finger)?.Is there weight bearing support for your arm (chair arm or wrist rest) when you are using your mouse?.Does the mouse location allow you to keep your upper arm and elbow close to body (arm not extended outward beyond 45 degrees)?.Does the keyboard position and angle allow for a neutral wrist posture so hands are in a straight line with forearms (not bent up/down or sideways toward little finger)?.Is there weight bearing support for your arms (chair arms or wrist rest) when you are using your keyboard?.Does the keyboard location allow you to keep your upper arms and elbows close to body (arms not extended outward beyond 45 degrees)?.
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Here are a few keyboard and mouse best practices to help you get started configuring your office workstation: The support should be at least 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) deep.sĪs always, it’s important to take a holistic view of your workstation. Provide wrist/palm supports that are fairly soft and rounded to minimize pressure on the wrist.Match the wrist support to the width, height, and slope of the front edge of the keyboard ( keeping in mind that the goal is to keep wrist postures as straight as possible).Reduce bending of the wrists by adjusting other workstation components so the wrist can maintain an in-line, neutral posture.
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Myth series, there is no straightforward yes or no answer. Like many of the articles in our Truth vs. Myth.ĭo Wrist Rests Reduce Fatigue and Discomfort and Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? Are you wondering whether wrists rests reduce fatigue and discomfort and prevent carpal tunnel syndrome? Let’s explore that together in this installment of Truth vs.
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