Writing with a Wrist Injury

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

29 Sep 2009 04:14 PM

In case you're worried -- I'm not the one with the wrist injury. Thank goodness! I have a friend who has rheumatoid arthritis AND tendinitis, leaving her at the computer with only one hand for typing.

So what happens when you can't type (or do other hand-centric tasks) but you need to? I'd be up a creek without a paddle if I couldn't find my way to tippity tap on the keyboard! My friend is struggling with her wrist-related restrictions.

The way she sees it, she has a few options:

• Stay away from the computer and get no work done. She's self-employed, and would be facing a huge backlog when she got back to the keyboard... not to mention not getting paid while not working! So this isn't really an option most of the time. (But she is resting her injured wrist and following doctor's orders, trust me.)
• Type with one hand. Tricky, but sort of do-able. Like me, she went through typing classes in elementary and high school -- so she's really used to that "home row" typing thing. Going one-handed at the keyboard will mean a big slowdown. It would feel seriously awkward, too! I would offer to try to type the rest of this blog one-handed, but it would probably drive me crazy.
• Find a speech recognition program so you can dictate your work, rather than type it. Programs like Dragon Naturally Speaking and Via Voice are one way to get around the wrist problem entirely! It's a big adjustment if you're used to tapping away at the keys -- and not talking out what you want to write... but it may help save a lot of wear and tear on your hands and wrists!

For the curious -- my friend is going the voice recognition software route. It took her a few days to get used to the program (and get the program used to her), and it hasn't been without mishap. Still, she's able to keep working, even when her wrists aren't.

If you're suffering from wrist issues -- be it arthritis, repetitive strain injury, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, or something else entirely -- your doctor or health care professional can help you figure out treatment plans and work options.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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