Pain guide · Wrist and hand pain

Wrist pain from typing: the keyboard and mouse, carpal tunnel, the tendons, breaks and what helps

Wrist, hand and forearm pain from typing and using a mouse is common, and it usually comes from muscles and tendons tired and irritated by long spells at a keyboard rather than from damage. Many people type for years without a problem, and most improve with changes to the desk, regular breaks and exercise. Tingling in the thumb and first fingers, especially at night, points to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Sudden weakness or numbness in one arm with a drooping face is a 999 call, and an injured wrist that has changed shape needs accident and emergency (A&E). Tingling or numbness that's getting worse, or a weak thumb, needs a general practitioner (GP) soon, and the National Health Service (NHS) says don't rest a sore hand completely for more than a few days. This guide covers those warning signs, how to tell the causes apart by where it hurts, what the studies say about typing, mice and carpal tunnel, the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) desk set-up, what ergonomic keyboards, vertical mice, wrist rests and splints can and can't do, and a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move that ends with a full day of typing.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 43 sourcesUpdated 23 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999, even if it passes: sudden weakness or numbness in one arm, with a drooping face or slurred speech. These are signs of a stroke.
Call 999: chest pain that spreads to your arm, neck or jaw. It could be a heart attack.
Same day: both hands numb or clumsy (dropping things, trouble with buttons or handwriting), especially with unsteady walking or falls. Pressure on the spinal cord in the neck can do this, and it is often first mistaken for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Same day: you have lost the feeling in part or all of your hand.
Same day: a joint or lump that is hot, red and swollen, or hand or wrist pain with a high temperature or feeling hot, cold or shivery. It could be an infection or gout.
Call 999 or go to A&E after an injury (don't drive yourself) if the arm, wrist or hand is numb, tingling or has pins and needles; a bone is sticking out or a bad cut is bleeding heavily; or the wrist, thumb or a finger has changed shape, is at an odd angle, or has turned blue, grey, white or cold.
Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E if you heard a crack or snap when you hurt it, or the pain is severe and you can't move the thumb or hold things.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Carpal tunnel symptoms that are getting worse, not going away, or not helped by treatment at home; sooner if the thumb is weak or the muscle at the base of the thumb looks thinner.
Tingling or numbness in your fingers that comes often, wakes you at night, or comes with dropping things or a weak hand: see a GP. Early treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome can help prevent long-term nerve damage.
Any tingling or loss of feeling in the hand or wrist.
Not improved after 2 weeks of looking after it at home, getting worse, keeps coming back, or stopping you doing normal activities. In many areas you can refer yourself to NHS physiotherapy.
Aches, tingling, numbness or weakness in your arm that started with, or get worse with, your work: tell your employer early and ask about occupational health. Most people recover completely if the problem is recognised early.
Pins and needles or a cold arm alongside neck pain, or a new loss of strength or feeling in the arm that you cannot explain (a possible nerve problem).
Swollen, stiff joints in several fingers or both hands, with morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) asks GPs to refer suspected rheumatoid arthritis urgently when the small joints of the hands are affected, even if blood tests are normal.
A lump that gets bigger, is hard or doesn't move.
You have diabetes and a hand problem: the NHS says hand problems can be more serious if you have diabetes.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

Tingling, numbness or aching in the thumb, index and middle fingers, often waking you at night

Shaking or rubbing the hand eases it: carpal tunnel syndrome.

Read: Carpal tunnel syndrome →The thumb side of the wrist, worse lifting the thumb, pinching, or using the space bar or a phone with your thumb

De Quervain's tenosynovitis.

Read: De Quervain's tenosynovitis →An ache across the back of the forearm after a long day of mousing, sometimes reaching the outer elbow

Tired, irritated muscles that lift the wrist and fingers; if it centres on the bony bump on the outside of the elbow, tennis elbow.

Read: Tennis elbow →The inner forearm or the inner elbow, worse gripping or bending the wrist

The muscles that bend the wrist, or golfer's elbow.

Read: Golfer's elbow →The back of the forearm a few finger-widths above the wrist on the thumb side, sometimes creaking

Possibly intersection syndrome.

Read: Intersection syndrome →The little-finger side of the wrist, worse twisting or leaning on the hand

Possibly the cartilage on that side of the wrist, the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC).

Read: TFCC tear →Tingling in the ring and little fingers, worse with the elbow bent or leaning on it

Possibly the ulnar nerve.

Read: Ulnar nerve entrapment →Pain or tingling down the arm into the hand that changes when you move your neck

Possibly a trapped nerve in the neck.

Read: Pinched nerve in the neck →Arm aching or tingling that is worse with your arms raised

Possibly thoracic outlet syndrome.

Read: Thoracic outlet syndrome →A smooth lump on the back or palm side of the wrist

Usually a ganglion.

Read: Ganglion cyst →An ache at the base of the thumb when you pinch, or stiff, knobbly finger joints

Thumb or hand arthritis.

Read: Thumb arthritis →A finger or thumb that clicks or catches

Trigger finger.

Read: Trigger finger →The neck and tops of the shoulders, or between the shoulder blades, after a day at the screen

Our tech neck and upper back pain from sitting guides.

Read: Tech neck →Wrist ache only in push-ups, planks or yoga

Loading a bent-back wrist: our push-up wrist pain guide.

Read: Wrist pain in push-ups and yoga →

Several swollen, warm finger or wrist joints, with morning stiffness over 30 minutes

Possibly inflammatory arthritis: see the warning signs.

Both hands numb or clumsy, with unsteady walking

Possibly pressure on the spinal cord in the neck: see the warning signs.

Understand it

Typing and mousing irritate more often than they injureStrong evidence

The NHS lists typing among the repetitive activities that can cause repetitive strain injury (RSI), pain from repeated movement, but adds: "Repetitive or strenuous work does not always cause RSI. Many people do the same job for years without having a problem." It often gets better on its own.

The HSE says aches and pains in the hands, wrists, arms and neck are more likely with prolonged repetitive work, awkward postures, sustained force and long tasks without suitable breaks, and with high workloads, tight deadlines and little control over the work; people "usually completely recover if the problem is recognised early and treated appropriately".

Sources 1, 2

What at the desk goes with arm and hand symptomsEmerging evidence

A review of 9 studies that followed office workers over time found moderate evidence that longer mouse use goes with hand and arm symptoms, with signs that more use means more symptoms, and a stronger link for the mouse than for the keyboard or total computer time. Another review of 22 studies found only limited evidence for links between mouse time and forearm problems, and between computer work and wrist tendon problems.

In 632 new computer users, more hours of typing, a keyboard home row more than 3.5 cm above the desk, stiff keys and a wrist bent sideways on the mouse went with more hand and arm symptoms, and a keyboard set more than 12 cm back from the desk edge with fewer. These are links, not proof of cause. In 673 computer users with bad elbow, forearm or hand pain, two-thirds had improved somewhat and a third substantially a year later, and recovery didn't depend on how much they used the mouse or keyboard.

Sources 3, 4, 5, 6

Typing and carpal tunnel: the evidence is mixedMixed evidence

Against a link: in two cohorts followed for 3 to 5 years (2,262 people), those with the most computer work had fewer new cases of carpal tunnel syndrome, which was "far more common among workers in non-computer related jobs". A US guideline group of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) concluded, on very low-quality evidence, that there is no association between heavy keyboard use and carpal tunnel syndrome, and two reviews found too little evidence that computer work causes it.

For a link: among office workers, a meta-analysis found carpal tunnel syndrome went with computer use, and with mouse use at about twice the odds, calling heavy mouse use "a minor occupational risk factor", and in 5,658 Danish workers followed for a year, more than 20 hours a week of mouse use went with possible carpal tunnel symptoms, though the authors said computer use "does not pose a severe occupational hazard". The British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH) lists typing among the kinds of work where carpal tunnel is commoner.

Sources 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Where it hurts points to the causeStrong evidence

Carpal tunnel syndrome causes tingling, numbness and pain in the thumb, index, middle and part of the ring finger, and a weak thumb; it is "usually worse at night", and shaking or rubbing the hand can relieve it. It is commoner over 40 and in women, in pregnancy, and with diabetes, arthritis or being overweight.

Pain on the thumb side of the wrist, worse lifting the thumb, is de Quervain's: the BSSH says "There is little evidence that it is caused by work activities, but the pain can certainly be aggravated by hand use". Repetitive or forceful hand work went with it in a meta-analysis, and texting and gaming in phone studies, but neither has been shown to cause it. A smooth lump on top of the wrist, which may be painful, is often a ganglion, the NHS says.

Sources 14, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18

When a test helpsStrong evidence

Carpal tunnel syndrome can usually be diagnosed from your symptoms and an examination of your hand. If it isn't clear, the NHS says you may be referred for a nerve conduction test or an ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan; the BSSH says nerve tests aren't always needed when the symptoms are typical.

Sources 14, 13

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

Carpal tunnel syndrome sometimes gets better by itself in a few months, particularly in pregnancy, the NHS says, but untreated severe cases can leave permanent nerve damage and weakness, the BSSH says, which is why worsening numbness or a weak thumb needs a GP. Mild de Quervain's can settle over a few weeks. In 673 computer users with bad arm pain, two-thirds had improved at least somewhat a year later, and the HSE says people usually recover completely if the problem is recognised early. No one can promise a date.

Sources 14, 13, 6, 15, 2

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

The HSE's desk set-up: for comfort, untested as a treatmentStrong evidence

The HSE's set-up: keyboard just below elbow height, forearms roughly level, "Try to keep wrists straight when keying", "a soft touch on the keys and not overstretching the fingers", and "A space in front of the keyboard can help you rest your hands and wrists when not keying". The mouse goes "in line with elbow", close enough to use with a straight wrist, with the forearm supported and a light grip. Its checklist adds that "Users of thick, raised keyboards may need a wrist rest", and that if someone has problems with a mouse, "try a different device".

Employers must assess the workstations of people who use screens daily for an hour or more at a time, at home too, and plan breaks or changes of activity. This set-up is regulator guidance for comfort and prevention; it hasn't been tested as a treatment for wrist pain.

Sources 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

Keyboards, mice, wrist rests and forearm supportsEmerging evidence

Ergonomic keyboards for carpal tunnel have been tested in only two small trials (105 people), with mixed results: "insufficient evidence" either way. In a Cochrane review of 15 workplace trials (2,165 office workers), an alternative mouse on its own didn't clearly reduce new arm or neck problems; an arm support with an alternative mouse cut neck and shoulder problems but not right arm problems. In 21 people with carpal tunnel syndrome, a vertical mouse straightened the wrist sideways and gel or gliding wrist supports reduced the backward bend, but none lowered the pressure in the carpal tunnel, so the choice comes down to comfort.

Forearm support has more behind it: a forearm support board reduced right arm discomfort over a year in 206 engineers, and a wide armboard with training reduced right arm pain in 182 call centre workers. No trial has tested a wrist rest for wrist pain or for preventing carpal tunnel; a review of workplace prevention strategies, wrist rests among them, found a "mixed level of evidence".

Sources 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 21

Breaks: helpful for some, mixed overallMixed evidence

The HSE says short, frequent breaks are better than longer, less frequent ones ("5 to 10 minutes every hour is better than 20 minutes every 2 hours"), and "Change activity before users get tired, rather than to recover". In 42 data-entry workers, an extra 5-minute break each hour reduced discomfort and stopped forearm, wrist and hand discomfort building up over the week, without losing output, and short breaks every 20 minutes reduced discomfort in another trial.

But in a Cochrane review of 6 studies (373 healthy workers), extra breaks made little or no difference to pain or discomfort, on low-quality evidence, and the review of workplace interventions rated the evidence for extra breaks very low quality. In a lab study of 25 people, pauses reduced forearm muscle fatigue during an hour of typing; fatigue isn't pain, but it fits with short, frequent breaks.

Sources 31, 20, 32, 33, 34, 26, 35

Wrist position and carpal tunnel pressureEmerging evidence

The pressure in the carpal tunnel is lowest with the wrist close to straight. Bending the wrist back or towards the thumb while typing raised it, and typing itself raised it further, in 20 people. Dragging with a mouse raised it about 12 millimetres of mercury (mmHg) above resting the hand on the mouse, and the authors advise keeping the wrist from bending back, keeping long drags short and switching tasks often. These are small lab studies, mostly in people without symptoms.

Sources 36, 37, 38

Splints, injections and surgery for carpal tunnelEmerging evidence

The NHS suggests a splint that keeps the wrist straight at night, worn for up to 6 weeks before it starts to help; if it doesn't, a steroid injection may be offered (symptoms can come back), and surgery usually cures it. In a Cochrane review of 29 trials (1,937 adults), a splint gave little or no short-term benefit over no treatment (low certainty), though night-time splinting may help more in one trial of 80 people. The BSSH says early treatment can help prevent long-term nerve damage, and that you can usually keep working "with adjustments or splints".

For de Quervain's, a splint has to hold the thumb as well as the wrist, and a steroid injection relieves the pain in about 70% of cases. No trial has tested a splint or brace worn while typing.

Sources 14, 39, 13, 15

Exercise: keep it moving, then build strengthEmerging evidence

The NHS says there's "a small amount of evidence" that hand exercises ease carpal tunnel symptoms, and a Cochrane review of 16 small trials (741 people) found the evidence limited and of very low to low quality. With RSI, the NHS says keep active, and "do not rest the affected area for more than a few days", because resting too long makes it weaker and less flexible; a physiotherapist or occupational therapist can help if it doesn't settle.

No trial has tested exercise for wrist pain from typing as such, so this plan follows the wrist hub's order: keep the hand and tendons moving from day one, then build grip and forearm strength over weeks.

Sources 14, 40, 1

Phones and tabletsEmerging evidence

In a review of 15 studies of phone and tablet users, aches were commonest in the neck, with some evidence linking them to texting, calls and gaming. Texting and gaming also went with de Quervain's in observational studies (about 1.5 to 2.6 times the odds), but these studies can't show that phones cause it.

Sources 41, 17

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

The wrist and hand pain rule, and treat typing like the exercisesEmerging evidence

This guide uses the wrist hub's rule. Some discomfort during these exercises is fine and doesn't mean you are doing damage. Keep it to about 5 out of 10 or less. It should settle within half an hour or so, and your hand should be no worse the next morning. If it is, do fewer, smaller or lighter next time, not nothing. The 5 out of 10 figure matches this site's other pain guides; in trials of long-lasting muscle and joint pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise.

Tingling and numbness are different. With nerve glides, a little extra tingling is expected but should fade within an hour, as the move page says. Stop and get advice if numbness spreads, lasts, or your grip or thumb gets weaker.

Don't rest the hand completely for long, either: for repetitive strain, the NHS says resting for more than a few days makes the area weaker and less flexible. If a joint becomes hot, red and swollen, stop and get it checked.

Typing (our suggestion): an ache up to about 5 out of 10 that settles within half an hour of stopping, with the hand no worse the next morning, is fine. If it builds past that within a session, break sooner and switch to a task that doesn't use the keyboard or mouse; the HSE says change activity before you get tired, rather than to recover. Then build the typing spells back up over days.

Sources 42, 1, 20

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Settle: change the desk, break up the typing, keep the hand moving

About the first 2 weeks: set up the desk today and break up the typing (the written steps below); cut down whatever brings it on for a few days, then build back; keep the hand and tendons moving; and use the nerve glides only if tingling in the thumb and first fingers is part of it. With tingling at night, add a night splint, as our carpal tunnel guide says; with thumb-side pain, our de Quervain's guide has the splint and plan; with the ache centred on the outer elbow, our tennis elbow guide's holds come first.

Wrist & forearm flow demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist & forearm flowBeginner · No equipment

10 slow reps each way, 2 to 3 times a day, and as a typing break · As in our wrist pain guide

Easier: Wrist circles · Harder: Wrist flexor stretch

Tendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises)Beginner · No equipment

4 to 6 of each position, holding each for 5 s, up to 4 times a day · The move page's dose (an NHS hand-therapy leaflet's), as our wrist pain guide uses it

Harder: Ball squeeze

Median nerve glide (six hand positions, for carpal tunnel) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoMedian nerve glide (six hand positions, for carpal tunnel)Beginner · No equipment

Hold each position for about 7 s, 5 times through, 3 times a day · The move page's dose (a carpal tunnel trial's protocol), as in our carpal tunnel guide. Only with tingling in the thumb and first fingers; extra tingling should fade within an hour, as the move page says

Easier: Median nerve slider (neck-to-arm nerve glide)

Wrist extensor stretch (tennis elbow stretch) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist extensor stretch (tennis elbow stretch)Beginner · No equipment

3 holds of 30 s, once or twice a day · The move page's dose (an NHS Scotland tennis elbow booklet's), which puts it after the strengthening once that starts. For an ache on the back of the forearm; ease off if it brings on tingling, as the move page says

Easier: Wrist & forearm flow

Wrist flexor stretch demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist flexor stretchBeginner · A wall

2 holds of 30 s each side · As in our wrist pain guide (an NHS wrist rehabilitation booklet's hold). Keep it gentle with carpal tunnel symptoms, as the move page says

Easier: Wrist circles · Harder: Quadruped wrist rocks

Move on when: A typing spell's ache settles within half an hour of stopping, and the hand is no worse the next morning (our suggestion).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Build: grip and forearm strength

About weeks 2 to 6: the wrist hub's second stage, light and every other day, while typing spells get longer by the written steps below.

Ball squeeze demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBall squeezeBeginner · Other / check instructions

10 squeezes, 5 s holds · As in our wrist pain guide (the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy's hand squeeze hold)

Easier: Tendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises) · Harder: Band finger extension

Reverse wrist curl demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoReverse wrist curlBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

1 to 2 sets of 10, every other day, very light · As in our wrist pain guide. With tennis elbow, hold the weight still at the level position if lifting hurts, as the move page says

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Wrist curls demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist curlsBeginner · A dumbbell

1 to 2 sets of 10, every other day, very light · As in our wrist pain guide: a tin of beans is enough

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Band finger extension demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand finger extensionBeginner · A band

2 sets of 10 · As in our wrist pain guide

Easier: Ball squeeze · Harder: Plate pinch

Dumbbell forearm rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell forearm rotationBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

2 sets of 10, with no weight at first, then a light one · As in our wrist pain guide

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Move on when: The strength work stays within the pain rule, and you can type for an hour, with breaks, without the ache building past it (our suggestion).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

A full day of typing comes back

From about week 6: heavier forearm and grip work, while a full working day of typing comes back by the written steps below.

3D demoWrist curlsBeginner · A dumbbell

Up to 3 sets of 10, every other day, heavier as it gets easy · As in our wrist pain guide (an NHS booklet's progression)

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

3D demoReverse wrist curlBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

Up to 3 sets of 10, every other day · As in our wrist pain guide

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Wrist-extensor eccentrics demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist-extensor eccentricsBeginner · A dumbbell

3 sets of 15, once a day, lowering over 3 to 4 s · As in our tennis elbow guide (a US physical therapy guideline's dose). For the back-of-forearm ache; start with still holds if lowering hurts more than mildly, as the move page says

Harder: Wrist curls

Hammer curl demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoHammer curlBeginner · A dumbbell

2 to 3 sets of 10 · As in our wrist pain guide. Leave thumb-up curls until thumb-side pain has settled, as the move page says

Easier: Seated dumbbell curl · Harder: Alternating hammer curl

Farmer's carry demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFarmer's carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell

3 walks of 20 to 30 m · As in our wrist pain guide

Harder: Suitcase carry

Move on when: Our suggestion: a full working day of typing, with breaks, leaves your hand and forearm no worse the next morning. Keep the strength work going twice a week, and if a heavy week brings it back, drop back a stage for a few days rather than resting the hand completely.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Set up the desk (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show these changes. They come from the HSE; where a step is our suggestion, it says so. They are for comfort and haven't been tested as a treatment.

1. Keyboard just below elbow height, forearms roughly level and wrists straight, with a soft touch on the keys (the HSE).
2. A space in front of the keyboard to rest your hands between bursts of typing (the HSE). A keyboard set more than 12 cm back from the desk edge went with fewer symptoms in new computer users.
3. A low, light-touch keyboard if you can; the HSE says users of thick, raised keyboards may need a wrist rest.
4. With a laptop, a separate keyboard and mouse, and the screen raised (the HSE). Typing on your lap bent the wrists back more than at a desk in a lab study.
5. Sit close to the desk so you're not mousing with your arm stretched out (the HSE).
6. At home, the same set-up: the HSE says you may not need office furniture to get comfortable, and your employer should check.

Sources 19, 20, 21, 5, 43, 23

The mouse and the keyboard (written steps)

These come from the HSE and lab studies; where a step is our suggestion, it says so.

1. The mouse close, in line with your elbow, used with a straight wrist (the HSE).
2. Support your forearm on the desk or the arm of a chair, rest your fingers lightly on the buttons and don't grip tightly (the HSE). A forearm support reduced arm discomfort in a workplace trial.
3. Take your hand off the mouse when you're not using it, and adjust the pointer speed (the HSE).
4. Keep long click-and-drag work short and switch tasks often: dragging raised carpal tunnel pressure most in a lab study. Keyboard shortcuts cut both (our suggestion).
5. If a mouse bothers you, try a different device (the HSE). A vertical mouse changes the wrist angle but didn't lower carpal tunnel pressure, so choose by comfort.

Sources 20, 21, 38, 29, 27

Breaks and the working day (written steps)

These come from the HSE, two trials and the NHS; the amounts while you're sore are our suggestion.

1. Short, frequent breaks: 5 to 10 minutes every hour is better than 20 minutes every 2 hours, ideally getting up and moving (the HSE).
2. Change activity before you get tired, not after (the HSE).
3. While it's sore, a brief pause every 20 minutes or so as well: microbreaks every 20 minutes reduced discomfort in a trial.
4. Speak to your employer about changing the way you work or reducing your hours for a while (the NHS), and ask for a workstation assessment (the HSE).
5. Long spells of texting or gaming load the thumb and wrist too: use voice typing or switch hands (our suggestion).

Sources 31, 20, 32, 33, 1, 22

Splints, cold and painkillers

For carpal tunnel, the NHS suggests a splint that keeps your wrist straight at night, for up to 6 weeks before it starts to help, and painkillers only for short-term relief. For de Quervain's, a splint has to hold the thumb as well as the wrist (the BSSH). A cold pack wrapped in a towel for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours can ease RSI (the NHS), and the NHS's wrist page suggests cutting down activities that cause the pain, such as typing, for a while.

Sources 14, 18, 1, 15

A full day of typing comes back (written steps)

No trial has tested how to bring typing back after wrist pain. These steps are our suggestion, built on the HSE's and the NHS's advice.

1. Start with the typing you must do, with the set-up and breaks above.
2. Add typing time over days, while the ache stays within the pain rule and the hand is no worse the next morning.
3. Mix tasks through the day, so long typing or mousing spells are broken up by calls, reading or moving.
4. Tingling at night: a night splint, and our carpal tunnel guide.
5. If it isn't improving after 2 weeks, keeps coming back or is getting worse, see a GP or physiotherapist (the NHS); in many areas you can refer yourself.

Sources 20, 18, 1

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Typing or mousing for hours without a break	The HSE says short, frequent breaks are better, and long tasks without breaks make arm and hand problems more likely.	5 to 10 minutes every hour, and a short pause every 20 minutes or so while it's sore; the wrist and forearm flow makes a good break.Try: Wrist & forearm flow
Wrists bent back on a thick, raised keyboard	Bending the wrist back raised carpal tunnel pressure while typing, and a keyboard high above the desk went with more symptoms.	A low keyboard set back from the edge, wrists straight; the HSE says thick keyboards may need a wrist rest.
Pressing your wrists on a wrist rest or the desk edge while you type	The HSE's space in front of the keyboard is for resting your hands when not keying, and gel wrist supports didn't lower carpal tunnel pressure in a lab study.	Let your hands float while you type and rest them between bursts; support the forearm instead.
Gripping the mouse tightly, or leaving your hand on it	The HSE says don't grip the mouse too tightly, rest your fingers lightly on the buttons, and don't leave your hand on it.	A light grip, and your hand off the mouse between uses.
The mouse far out to the side, with your arm stretched	The HSE says keep it within easy reach, in line with your elbow, and sit close to the desk.	The mouse beside the keyboard; a keyboard without a number pad helps (our suggestion).
Long click-and-drag work	Dragging raised carpal tunnel pressure about 12 mmHg above resting the hand on the mouse in a lab study.	Keyboard shortcuts, and switching tasks often.
Typing on a laptop on your lap or the sofa for long spells	Working with a laptop on the lap bent the wrists back more than at a desk.	A table, a separate keyboard and mouse, and the screen raised.
Resting the hand completely for weeks	The NHS says don't rest a repetitive strain for more than a few days, because it gets weaker and less flexible.	Keep it moving within the pain rule, with tendon glides through the day.Try: Tendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises)
The wrist flexor stretch pushed into tingling	The move page says numbness or tingling in the fingers is a nerve complaining, so ease off.	A gentle pull only, and the median nerve glide if tingling is part of it.Try: Median nerve glide (six hand positions, for carpal tunnel)
Long spells of thumb texting or gaming, with thumb-side pain	Texting and gaming went with de Quervain's in observational studies.	Voice typing, or switch hands.

Routines to follow

Wrist and forearm routine

Wrist mobility and forearm strength for desk work, climbing, push-ups and handstands.

10 minBeginner7 movesA wall, A dumbbell

5-minute desk stretches

A quick stretch break you can do beside your desk: neck, back, chest, wrists, hips and quads.

5 minBeginner7 movesA wall

3-minute desk movement break

A 3-minute standing break to repeat every 30 to 60 minutes at your desk: sit-to-stands, calf raises, marching, an upper-back turn and chin tucks.

3 minBeginner5 movesA bench or box, A wall

Grip strength workout: squeezes, curls, carries and hangs

A 20-minute grip session: warm up the wrists and fingers, train the hand and forearm muscles, then carry and hang to load your grip the way everyday life does.

20 minBeginner10 movesOther / check instructions, A band

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Can typing cause wrist pain?

Yes: typing and using a mouse can bring on aching in the wrists, hands and forearms, especially with long spells, an awkward set-up and few breaks. It usually settles with changes to the desk, breaks and exercise, and many people type for years without a problem.

Can typing cause carpal tunnel syndrome?

The evidence is mixed. Large cohorts found no link between computer work and new carpal tunnel syndrome, which is more common in jobs with forceful hand work, but heavy mouse use may be a minor risk factor in office workers. Tingling or numbness in the thumb and first fingers, especially at night, is the sign to look for.

What's the best wrist position for typing?

Straight: keyboard just below elbow height, forearms roughly level, wrists not bent up, down or sideways, and a soft touch on the keys. The pressure in the carpal tunnel is lowest with the wrist close to straight, and rises when it bends back or sideways while you type.

Do wrist rests help?

They can make a thick, raised keyboard more comfortable, which is the HSE's advice, and a space in front of the keyboard lets you rest your hands between bursts. No trial shows they prevent carpal tunnel, and wrist supports didn't lower the pressure in the carpal tunnel in people who have it. Rest on them between bursts rather than pressing on them while you type (our suggestion).

Is a vertical or ergonomic mouse better for wrist pain?

It changes the wrist angle, which some people find more comfortable, but it didn't lower carpal tunnel pressure in a lab study, and an alternative mouse on its own didn't prevent arm problems in workplace trials. The HSE says try a different device if you're having problems. A forearm support has more evidence behind it.

Should I wear a wrist brace for typing?

No trial has tested a brace worn while typing. For carpal tunnel, a splint that keeps the wrist straight at night is the usual first step, though its effect in trials is small; for de Quervain's, the splint must hold the thumb as well as the wrist. During the day, the set-up and breaks come first.

How often should I take breaks from typing?

The HSE says short, frequent breaks are better than long, occasional ones, for example 5 to 10 minutes every hour rather than 20 minutes every 2 hours. An extra 5-minute break each hour reduced forearm, wrist and hand discomfort in data-entry workers. Change activity before you get tired, not after.

What exercises help wrist pain from typing?

Gentle wrist movements and tendon glides from the start, then grip and forearm strength over weeks, as in the plan on this page. The trials of exercise for carpal tunnel are small and low quality, so think of the exercises as keeping the hand moving and building capacity. Ease off any exercise that brings on tingling that doesn't fade within an hour.

Why does the back of my forearm ache after using a mouse?

The muscles that lift the wrist and fingers work for long spells at a keyboard and mouse, and in a lab study an hour of typing tired them in most people, while pauses reduced that fatigue. Limited evidence links mouse time with forearm problems. If the ache centres on the bony bump on the outside of the elbow, see our tennis elbow guide.

Why does the thumb side of my wrist hurt from typing or my phone?

Pain on the thumb side, worse when you lift the thumb or pinch, is often de Quervain's. There's little evidence it is caused by work, though hand use aggravates it, and texting and gaming went with it in observational studies. A splint that holds the thumb and wrist, and an injection if needed, are the usual treatments.

When should I see a doctor about wrist pain from typing?

If it hasn't improved after 2 weeks, keeps coming back or is getting worse, or you have tingling or loss of feeling. Sooner if your thumb is weak, the muscle at the base of your thumb looks thinner, or numbness often wakes you. The same day if you've lost the feeling in your hand, or both hands are numb and clumsy.

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.