Please Save My Fingers from My Tab Key

December 10, 2015 10:00 PM

I do data entry. Lots of data entry. I use the tab key to move between fields. I do a lot of moving between fields. I am very fast, and may have a tendency to hit keys harder than I think I'm hitting them. I'm seeking advice, hacks and hardware to ease the aching in my hands generally, and my tab finger specifically.

For as long as I remember, I've always spent a lot of time writing and typing. I learned both almost simultaneously, and I'm starting to get to a point where my hands are periodically aching.

I've been taking care to take breaks and stretch often, but I know my hands are starting to feel the effects of a lifetime with either pen in hand or at a keyboard.

My biggest issue is my tab fingers. I've taken to using ring and middle for that key as my ring finger was starting to tire/ache first. This evening I realized my middle finger is starting to ache too.

90+% of my job is data entry. I need to maintain speed and accuracy. Using the mouse to switch between fields is slow and cumbersome. Would a foot switch mapped to tab work? Where would I find such a thing (if such exists)? I thought about remapping a key I could use with my right hand, but can't think of which I could spare. Is there an alternative to tab I'm not thinking of? I work in Windows 8 (no idea when we'll upgrade), but use Linux at home.

I'm also interested in keyboard recommendations or tips for, I don't know, typing softer? Yes, I'll see a doctor, but what to do for my aching hands until then?

posted by MuChao to Computers & Internet (11 answers total)

Go here http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/ and check out all the options and get a keyboard made specifically to your needs. They have tutorials that you can dig into to make custom hotkeys to do tasks that you can place where you wish, or if you want to get a board with a configuration that's burnt into your muscle memory you can do that and instead of getting a whole new board when you wear out one key you can just replace it. Mechanical keyboards are also just better ergonomically because of the feedback from the keys, which is also something you can customize. It's a whole niche community, actually.

One thing for typing softer right now is making sure that you are sitting at the right height. You might find a wrist rest to really help lift your hands up, which helps typing be a little lighter because you aren't lifting up as far to press a key. It seems like a small change but it makes a difference.
posted by Mizu at 10:10 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]

Do you have a mechanical keyboard, or does it use the rubber gasket to spring the keys up?

Mechanical keyboards, by reputation, at least, are good for people who strike the keyboard because they have a tactile feedback that lets you know when the keystroke is done, and eventually trains your fingers to deliver exactly how much force is needed and no more. Are they full of shit? I dunno; some of those who say it are selling mechanical keyboards, and some aren't.

The company Unicomp has been the licensed manufacturer of the grandfather of PC mechanical keyboards, the IBM model M, which weighs more than most laptops these days. They make new versions, but there are a number of other companies that make them including DasKeyboard (you can get a version there with blank keycaps if you want to impress people with your touch-typing...and keep them off your computer).

Mechanical keyboards cost more, but not as much as fixing your fingers.
posted by Sunburnt at 10:27 PM on December 10, 2015

Have you tried a compact keyboard, where the keys are spaced closer together? I like them because they sort of naturally angle your hands (or mine) towards each other, in a more ergonomic position (like this: \ / ). Close-set keys might also reduce the reach a bit for the tab (or another key - if you're not entering numbers, I think right middle finger to "8"). I like the Microsoft Sculpt Mobile Keyboard (super cheap right now; runs on batteries, but you can get rechargeable ones).

For wrists, a lot of people tend to do a bit better with the keyboard at a 15 degree negative tilt (downwards), rather than raising the wrists. Arms close to your sides, forearms supported and sloping slightly downwards towards the keyboard (per my physio. I have a different issue, though).

(I'm sorry to say from personal experience, though, that if you've got a repetitive strain injury on the way, better ergonomics, resting, and medicating your way through it might work for a bit, but if you're doing this for a steady 7.5 hours a day, fast, your hands might still wind up needing a much longer rest than you'd want… If you can find a way to shift your responsibilities so you're doing less typing overall, that'd probably be ideal for your hands. I hope you find a solution that works for you.)
posted by cotton dress sock at 10:35 PM on December 10, 2015

Response by poster: Sounds like a mechanical keyboard may be part of the answer. Any recommendations for small hands?

I'd like to try something in person before spending a lot. Local recommendations for Austin, Tx appreciated.
posted by MuChao at 10:45 PM on December 10, 2015

Foot pedal is a great idea, and you can get multiple so you can have backtab or whatever. These look good.
posted by rhizome at 10:52 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]

If you re-map your keys and switch Tab and Caps Lock, your hand won't have to travel as far because now Tab will be in the home row. That might help you keep your hands closer to the keyboard and thus use less force. I did a version of this: I use vim a lot so I switched Caps Lock and Esc on all my machines so I could hit it with my pinky comfortably. It helped quite a bit. You could also maybe remap a key on your right hand side to Tab, something you don't use very much (depends on your current keyboard setup); that would give your left hand a rest at least.
posted by en forme de poire at 12:05 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]

Keep using the tab key; my mom ruined her rotator cuff (shoulder) reaching for the mouse constantly.

I did data entry once and splinted up my pinky with scotch tape. It was awkward and slowed me down a little, but it felt better. That's what I did.
posted by Piedmont_Americana at 3:50 AM on December 11, 2015

Taking breaks is, in my experience, the most important thing in dealing with an repetitive strain injury. Install Workrave (available for both Windows and Linux) and set up a 30 s micro-break every 5 min and a 5 min rest break every 30 min while you are having aches. If you get better you can back down to 30 s every 10 min and 5 min every 60 min.

Would a foot switch mapped to tab work? Where would I find such a thing (if such exists)?

Kinesis sells foot switches but you may need one of their keyboard. I have a Kinesis Advantage USB (which I love) and a triple-action foot switch. I find the foot switch less useful than I thought I would. Partially it's because it's difficult for my foot to tell which of the three it is mashing. I would recommend getting a single- or double-action foot switch instead if you go this route.

I thought about remapping a key I could use with my right hand, but can't think of which I could spare. Is there an alternative to tab I'm not thinking of? I work in Windows 8 (no idea when we'll upgrade), but use Linux at home.

The best thing might be to get a Kinesis Advantage which has 12 keys mapped to the thumb. These are much easier to press than reaching for something with a finger. You could remap one of these to Tab with the built-in remapping features of the keyboard.

As for now if you just want to switch hands, you could swap Tab and the "/' key on the right home row. You could do this with xmodmap on Linux/X. On Windows it is more difficult. SharpKeys will let you re-map a key but not swap keys—after remapping ' to Tab you would no longer be able to press ' at all.
posted by grouse at 4:45 AM on December 11, 2015 [2 favorites]

Do you work for a fairly large company? If you do, you should check with your HR/Facilities department. They will likely have someone trained in ergonomics who will have the authority to order you new equipment and give you a lot of the resources you just asked about.
posted by mayonnaises at 12:46 PM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]

I write code for food, for values of "write code" that mostly have to do with the One True Editor on UNIX-y things. It isn't data entry, but there's lots of typing, with speed and precision at a premium.

My workhorse keyboard is the Monoprice 9433, with the Cherry MX Blue mechanical keyswitches. It seems not to be on their site anymore, but the model 13785 looks like a close equivalent.

Mechanical keyswitches make a huge difference in terms of long-term comfort and perceived effort. (Full disclosure: I don't make or sell keyboards or keyswitches, and I'm not in the pay of anyone who does.)

There are different switches available. The Cherry MX line is nice. The "blue" variant is clicky but not as much so as an IBM Model M. It's fine in my office. In an open-plan office or cube farm it might be a little loud if you like to type with expression. Check out the guide to the different switch varieties available.

If you want to try before you buy: Different keyboards that use the same switches are going to feel much alike. If you find some $250 monstrosity with flashing lights and a fog machine at your local gamer store, and it uses the Cherry MX Blue, and you like the feel, mail-order a reasonable keyboard with the same switches for like $60.

The Fry's in Austin seems to have the Corsair Vengeance K70 in stock right now, and that's a Cherry MX Blue keyboard that's only mildly ridiculous (and about twice as expensive as my Monoprice). Caveat: Fry's is run by a malign alien intelligence that hates all human life. Their online stock check is a fabric of lies.

(Peeve: My remark about "precision" in the opening paragraph means it's virtually certain at least one horrible typo will materialize moments after the edit window closes.)
posted by sourcequench at 1:23 PM on December 11, 2015

You want a mechanical keyboard that is super clicky, like the old IBM ones. I have a Das Keyboard and I dig it. Counterintuitively, tactile feedback helps your fingers do less smashing. Which means they get less smashed, in turn. They also offer different switches depending on your preferences. Another nice side effect is that they're quite well-made and durable, which means the investment is worth it (like buying pricier shoes).
posted by axiom at 9:11 PM on December 11, 2015