Larger keyboard to prevent RSI?

[imzjustplayin]

http://www.rsi.deas.harvard.edu/preventing.html

I want to make sure that when I get older, I don't become like people I hear about, those who complain of things they did when they were younger and now are the reason why they have so much pain (such as arthritis).

One thing that confused me was the following point made in that article.
When you type, your wrists should be straight (not twisted in or out) and flat (not bent down or up). The way you hold your arms, shoulders, and neck can also contribute to problems. You should sit with your thighs level, or angled slightly downward, and your feet flat on the floor (or a foot rest). You should sit up straight with your shoulders relaxed, your upper arms at your side, and your forearms horizontal or tilted slightly downward. A rough rule of thumb is that your knees and elbows should form right angles. Your keyboard should be level or have a slight negative tilt (top row lower than the bottom row). The top of your screen should be at about eye level. Adjust the position of your keyboard and monitor to accommodate your body, not vice versa.

I'm not sure what to do about this. For me, when typing, I first have to twist the keyboard so that the left side is closer to me and the right side farther away from me, then I have to twist my right hand in order to type properly, however this seems conterintuitive to what the article says. Does this mean my keyboard is too small for me? It seems that there is no possible way for me to have both my left & right hand perfectly perpendicular with the keyboard. I mostly have my left hand perfectly straight and my right hand considerably twisted in.

I think the reason for this is because even when I have the keyboard perfectly in front of me, I have to squish my shoulders and arms inward which doesn't match up with the breadth of my shoulders and the arms rests of my chair.

Am I simply too large to use a computer? Or am I looking at this wrong?

 

[Bbq]

Try an ergonomic split key keyboard, such as the Microsoft Natural 4000. It's been nothing but great for me. Before on a standard keyboard, I would have non stop wrist pain. These days, It's nonexistant.

 

[Jeff Rage]

I did a lot of research on keyboards and mice when I started having trouble with Golfer's Elbow (a type of RSI that can be caused by excessive computer use.)

If you can touch type (type without looking at keys) a split keyboard would be best. If you are a hunt-n-pecker, you could try Logic's Wave Keyboard and Microsoft makes some where the keys are in a curve pattern.

The most important thing to do to prevent RSI is to have a proper desk/keyboard/chair height. Make sure you keep good posture. And take breaks often.

The mouse is another culprit. The best ones put your hand in a vertical position. You could also use trackballs. Logitech and Kennisington make some good ones. Another way to prevent repetitive motion is to periodically switch the hand you are mousing with. You can actually set up two mice at the same time (as long as both aren't PS2.)

 

[Domingow]

I have one in my FS thread that is proven to reduce RSI strain. I use it at work and love it.