Carpal Tunnel

If you spend eight hours a day at a desk, your wrist is doing thousands of micro-movements with the mouse. A flat, hard surface with no wrist support puts constant pressure on the carpal tunnel — that narrow passage of nerves and tendons on the underside of your wrist. Over months and years, this leads to pain, numbness, and repetitive strain injuries that are much easier to prevent than to treat.

If you type for 8+ hours a day and your wrists ache by 3 PM, a wrist rest might be the cheapest ergonomic upgrade you can make. But there’s a catch — a bad wrist rest can actually make things worse by putting pressure on the carpal tunnel. The key is resting the heel of your palm, not your wrist, and using the pad between typing bursts rather than while actively pressing keys. Get that right, and a quality wrist rest takes real strain off your forearms and shoulders.