writing by hand vs typing -- which is less conducive to RSI?

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ilovemymacandmoleskine

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Mar 11, 2007, 10:52:36 PM3/11/07

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I'm a recent moleskine convert. Before that I tried to do everything
on my laptop, but then I started feeling the onset of RSI every now
and then and now I try to limit my use of the laptop keyboard.

I was wondering if there was any information about whether writing
with a pen was more/less/equally conducive to RSI as typing on a
computer. My guess is that it is safer, but I've heard that you can
get RSI writing by hand too. I'd like to know more. Anecdotes are
certainly welcome, but it would be cool if there were any studies or
at least expert opinions on the issue, because as a Moleskine user who
sometimes writes over 12+ pages a day with a pen, I would like to know
what the health risks are.

Evan Edwards

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Mar 12, 2007, 8:47:12 AM3/12/07

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On Sunday 11 March 2007, ilovemymacandmoleskine wrote:
> My guess is that it is safer, but I've heard that you can
> get RSI writing by hand too. I'd like to know more. Anecdotes are
> certainly welcome, but it would be cool if there were any studies or
> at least expert opinions on the issue,

Switching back and forth between types of activity seems to be the central
tenant in pretty much every "How to avoid RSI" text I've seen. Taking
periodic breaks is another. I've seen 20 or 40 minutes as the suggested
break points, but that's off the top of my memory.

Writing with a pen and typing (and, in my case, tossing in playing guitar
now and then) seems to me to be a change in type of activity, although I've
never seen a "type" specified. Basically RSI occurs when you do the same
movements over and over again all day long every day. Switching around is
key in avoiding it.

As I say, I play guitar, and that's what I credit with my lack of any sort
of sore wrist that my fellow heavy typists wind up getting. I also us a pen
fairly often, but I can feel the difference after playing fingerstyle
acoustic for ten minutes after a long jag of typing.

When I built my desk, I built it taller than most so that things are
closer to my body and my elbows are bent comfortably when writing or typing.
I'm 6'3", and most desks feel low. Papers are also closer to my face, which
is also nice.

Oh, a tip I've seen (although I can't say that I follow it or that I know
it comes from experts on the matter) is to use a real keyboard and not a
laptop keyboard.