The Wrist Rest

A wrist rest is a pad that you place in front of your keyboard to provide a soft, elevated surface to help keep your wrists in a straight line with your elbows (in their neutral position) while you type. “Wrist rest” is a misleading name, because they were not designed for you to “rest” your hands or wrists on, but to provide a guide for your hands and wrists.

A wrist rest is a tool that reminds you to keep your wrists straight and in the neutral position. They are can be beneficial if they support the palms of your hands, not the wrists. If you use wrist rests as a resting place for your wrists, they may be potentially harmful. If you lean on them too much when you rest your wrists on them, you may put extra pressure on the tendons in your wrists that may lead to repetitive strain injuries.

See the Wrist Stretch section for related information.

Ergonomics and You

Health and Body

• Posture
  • Angled Hands
  • Arched Hands
  • Bent Neck
  • Body Twist
  • Eye Strain
  • Feet and Legs
  • Hunched Back
  • Phone Pinch
  • Pinched Fingers
  • Tips for Comfortable Posture
• Bursitis
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)
• Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI)
• Tendonitis
• Tenosynovitis

Office Ergonomics

• Chair
• Desk
  • Keyboard
  • Lighting
  • Monitor
  • Mouse
  • Wrist Rest
• Stretching Exercises

Nine Stretches & Alternate Instructions

• Chest Stretch
• Eye Relaxer
• Finger Stretch
• Lower-back Stretch
• Neck Stretch
• Neck Stretch II
• Shoulder Roll
• Upper-back Stretch
• Wrist Stretch