Why does my wrist hurt from typing?

Your wrist was built for variety, and typing delivers the opposite: the same small movements, thousands of times, with the wrist often held slightly extended over a keyboard edge. The NHS names typing directly among the causes of repetitive strain injury, and the symptom pattern it lists - aching, burning or throbbing pain, stiffness, cramps - describes the typical typist's wrist: a dull ache that builds through the afternoon and fades at weekends. The mechanics are simple overload. Tendons slide through tight tunnels at the wrist with every keystroke; without recovery time, the tissues become irritated and sore. Posture multiplies it - shoulders hunched, elbows unsupported, and a wrist bent upward all raise the load. The crucial distinction is which tissue is complaining. Aching, burning pain that tracks with workload points to RSI, which responds to the boring-but-effective trio: fewer uninterrupted hours, a neutral wrist position (keyboard flat, wrists floating rather than planted, elbow at a right angle), and regular micro-breaks - even 30 seconds of shaking out your hands each half hour changes the cumulative load. Tingling, numbness, and pins-and-needles in the thumb, index, and middle fingers - especially if they wake you at night - point instead to carpal tunnel syndrome, which the NHS describes as pressure on a nerve in the wrist; that also often starts with self-care (a wrist splint at night) but deserves a GP diagnosis because untreated nerve compression can become permanent. Either way, pain persisting despite weeks of desk changes, weakness, or dropping things warrants a review. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you map your symptoms.