I tried a split keyboard
Few months ago during one of the random (and mostly rare) flare ups of pain in my wrists, I decided to give a split keyboard a shot. Heard endless testimonials on the ergonomics and how much better they are once you get used to them. Been curious about them and wanted to give one a shot – except they’re very expensive, is the thing. Hard to drop a couple hundred or more on a keyboard that I’m not guaranteed to like.
But the pain in my wrists was actively stopping me from being able to write this time, so I finally bit the bullet. (I had also been saving for a while for this exact event.) Went with an ErgoDox since that's one I've consistently heard good things about. It’s cool! Very weird to type on (never learned to type using the classic home row technique, so extra difficulty on top of learning the layout), but I understand the appeal. The focus on using layers to add functionality is nifty and the sheer amount of customization available is staggering. It's a really nice board. Can see why people swear by them.
I also haven’t used it in weeks.
So I got this primarily to hopefully avoid pain while typing. Typing hasn’t ever actually been the cause, granted – usually it’s some kind of physical exertion or just a completely random event (thanks EDS) – but preventative action seemed like a good idea. The problem is that I would consistently get very strong pain in my wrists and shoulders after using the split keyboard for any extended period.
I’ve never had this happen with a keyboard before. The most I've experienced in terms of pain was my fingers being a bit sore for a few days after using a mechanical keyboard for the first time, but I expected that since the switches I use (Cherry MX Clears) are a bit heavier. But the pain was brief and ultimately very minor. This on the other hand was very pronounced and consistent. I expected learning a new layout to be the biggest obstacle, not the risk of actual physical pain from using it.
Been debating whether I should just try to push through and give it another shot or try selling it. Feel like I should try and make it work, but it's hard to motivate myself to do so when I have to be constantly wary of my wrists and shoulders flaring up. Don't know. I'll figure it out. At the very least, I'm glad I gave it a shot.