The third major posture to avoid is called 'pronation'. Pronating the hand simply means turning it so the palm faces downward. The bones in the forearm are actually straight and essentially parallel when the hands are slightly 'supine', with palms facing upward.

(You don't have to remember the terms to understand what's happening.)

Observe how 'pronating' the hands (turning the palm downward) causes the bones in the forearm to cross and 'scissor' the soft tissues in the arm. It forces blood vessels and nerves between two hard objects (your bones) and then puts a crushing pressure on them! Do you see how this could be harmful over long periods of time?

Now, as you sit down at a conventional flat keyboard, what movements do you have to perform to put your fingers on the right keys?

Pronation, Deviation and Extension... all at the same time!

The only ‘ergonomic’ keyboards that will help prevent injury are those that cannot be adjusted improperly, and which eliminate significant amounts of extension, deviation, and pronation of the wrist. Anything else is a waste of your money.

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