Truth vs. Myth: Do Wrist Rests Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Are you wondering whether wrists rests reduce fatigue and discomfort and prevent carpal tunnel syndrome? Let’s explore that together in this installment of Truth vs. Myth.

Do Wrist Rests Reduce Fatigue and Discomfort and Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Like many of the articles in our Truth vs. Myth series, there is no straightforward yes or no answer. Simply put, there are pros and cons to using a wrist rest. If you’re correctly using the right wrist rest for your office workstation, there can be some potential benefits.

OSHA recognizes potential hazards when using (and not using) wrist rests and offers a few possible solutions:

Potential Hazards (OSHA)

Performing keying tasks without a wrist rest may increase the angle to which users’ wrists are bent. Increasing the angle of bend increases the contact stress and irritation on tendons and tendon sheathes. This is especially true with high repetition or prolonged keying tasks. Keying without a wrist rest can also increase contact stress between the users wrist and hard or sharp workstation components.
Resting the wrist/palm on a support while typing may inhibit motion of the wrist and could increase awkward wrist postures.

Possible Solutions (OSHA)

Your hands should move freely and be elevated above the wrist/palm rest while typing. When resting, the pad should contact the heel or palm of your hand, not your wrist.
If used, wrist/palm rests should be part of an ergonomically-coordinated computer workstation.
Reduce bending of the wrists by adjusting other workstation components so the wrist can maintain an in-line, neutral posture.
Match the wrist support to the width, height, and slope of the front edge of the keyboard (keeping in mind that the goal is to keep wrist postures as straight as possible).
Provide wrist/palm supports that are fairly soft and rounded to minimize pressure on the wrist. The support should be at least 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) deep.s

Keyboard and Mouse Best Practices

As always, it’s important to take a holistic view of your workstation. Here are a few keyboard and mouse best practices to help you get started configuring your office workstation:

Does the keyboard location allow you to keep your upper arms and elbows close to body (arms not extended outward beyond 45 degrees)?
Is there weight bearing support for your arms (chair arms or wrist rest) when you are using your keyboard?
Does the keyboard position and angle allow for a neutral wrist posture so hands are in a straight line with forearms (not bent up/down or sideways toward little finger)?
Does the mouse location allow you to keep your upper arm and elbow close to body (arm not extended outward beyond 45 degrees)?
Is there weight bearing support for your arm (chair arm or wrist rest) when you are using your mouse?
Does the placement of the mouse allow for a neutral wrist posture so your hand is in a straight line with forearm (not bent up/down or sideways toward little finger)?
Do your arms and wrists rest upon surface areas (arm rests, wrist rests, desktop) absent any sharp or hard edges?

More Wrist Rest Resources

OSHA on Wrist Rests
OSHA’s Computer Workstations eTool provides guidance for a wide range of office ergonomics tools and products. This section on wrist rests provides quick tips, potential hazards, and possible solutions.

CCOHS Fact Sheet: Wrist Rests
This fact sheet from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety provides a balanced view of wrist rests along with practical usage tips.

Are Wrist Rests Ergonomic?
According to Ergo Canada, “In the vast majority of cases, wrist rests do not provide any significant ergonomic benefit and in fact will usually increase the number of risk factors for injury in your computer workstation. The reason is that if you ‘rest’ your ‘wrist’ on any type of support, be it foam, gel, webbing, cloth, etc. you are applying pressure to the underside of your wrist which will compress the tissues, resulting in decreased blood flow. More specifically, you can compress the carpal tunnel and possibly pinch the median nerve, which can lead not only to long term injury, but short term symptoms such as tingling, numbness or coldness in the hands, and finger muscles which fatigue quicker due to reduced circulation.”

Healthy Typing: How Wrist Rests Can Hurt You
This article from Healthy Typing provides a few videos and pictures of different postures that can be harmful to your wrist nerves and tendons, and a video of what healthy typing looks like.

Office Ergonomics Checklist

For more office ergonomics best practices and for practical tips on setting up a computer workstation, download a free copy of our office ergonomics checklist.

Get Up and Move!

We can’t end an article on office ergonomics without reminding you to get up and move! You are a workplace athlete and your body is designed for movement. There is no magical, perfect posture that will keep your body safe in the office. Invest in your health and well being by taking stretch breaks and getting in some form of movement every day.