Finger pain

[Eloi]

Since some months ago I have started getting pain in my index fingers, despite having a proper typing technique.

I had a 45g topre, but now I am typing on zilents 45g.

I went down in spring actuation force thinking that this is what is causing the pain.
Would progressive springs help?

I am now looking to maybe move to linears.

With these modern tactiles and their heavy bump, once you get over the bump you have no other choice but to bottom down.

Do you you guys/ladies have a particular type of switch that causes issues for you?
Maybe also keycaps?

[TheNamesTy45]

This might just be a me thing, but I had something similar when using light switches or heavily tactile ones. Heavy linears (stock Mx blacks) helped me out a ton. I still bottom out, just much more gently and I can rest my fingers a bit on the switches because they are heavier.

[Eloi]

For me, anything above 60g gives me pain in about an hour of typing.

[ddrfraser1]

Are you talkin like pain in your finger tips when you bottom out or joint pain from fatigue?

[Eloi]

It’s here. The more I type during a day, the more painful it gets.

[Deadeye]

Edit - just saw your image. I can’t say I’ve experienced that with any regularity. About the only recommendations I can make at the moment are seeking some advice from a medical or therapeutic specialist and maybe trying some glucosamine chondroitin (as long as you aren’t diabetic or taking blood thinners).

[Eloi]

I would describe it at soreness.
Sooner than later I will go also the doctor route to get a professional opinion.

[CosmicKira]

I haven’t typed on a trope board, but I have tried Box White, Jade, and Navy. I couldn’t do Jade for more then a couple minutes, because the the how hard my fingers would impact, when they bottomed out. but it was more so finger tip pain, they what your experiencing.

Eventually I went with 62g Zilents, because the silencing pads do provide a cushion, when bottoming out.

Is the pain in all fingers or just one? It could be a RSI, that’s acting up.

I agree with @Deadeye, that you should consult a physician.

[TheNamesTy45]

Ah, gotcha. My pain is the knuckle below that. But I’ve fractured nearly every finger at that joint, so I at least know why mine get sore from time to time.

[mrp]

I have experienced some similar pain and found topre most comfortable for me. I think the soft bottom out helps me in addition to lighter weight. I found variable and 30g topre to be most comfortable. (I previously used cherry browns, cherry blues, cherry reds, and Matias quiet clicks.)

30g topre feels very close to linear, but keeps the soft topre landing. I’ve also tried BKE ultra light domes, which still felt tactile at the lighter weight, but the bottom out felt harsher.

I’ve wanted to try a hhkb because I think it might be an even softer landing without the plate, but I have too much muscle memory around the F-keys.

I’ve wondered if there is potentially some much heavier actuation that might allow me to never bottom out, but I’ve never been comfortable with a heavy switch.

[Eloi]

Heavy actuation will help with eliminating the bottom down like @TheNamesTy45 said.
But I think that this will just move the ‘wall’ feel upper in the stroke.

I am curios to try progressive springs.
They have lower actuation force at the beginning and gradually increase while you get near the bottom.

[ajoflo]

@CosmicKira

I agree with @Deadeye, that you should consult a physician.

For sure, better safe than sorry. Rightly or wrongly, this helped a ton for me. Go slow, don’t push yourself, but moderate strength training really helped me recover from a broken left index finger. Feel better buddy.

[iaman]

It is really throwing me that the image goes (top to bottom) orange -> blue -> green on the left and orange -> green -> blue on the right. It’s like the same effect as writing “pink” in blue or something.

[CosmicKira]

PROHANDS PRO Hand Exerciser

r/Fitness - Mouse hand RSI - Should I skip the gym?

^This has been pinned on my work computer for a while. lol

[iaman]

@CosmicKira

PROHANDS PRO Hand Exerciser

Made from high-quality components ABS plastic, stainless steel springs

Squeezing ABS and stainless steel springs to get your fingers good enough to not hurt pushing down ABS and stainless steel springs, this is some galaxy brain stuff

[Eloi]

The pain that I was feeling in the fingers was actually pain radiating through the nerves and coming from the forearm.
Linus has a good visual explanation of why this happens link and some more details here .

Meanwhile I have been using training rubber rings and baoding balls to strengthen my muscles and joints.
Also since the right hand was giving me more issues I have added this base to my mx ergo to keep the hand in a more natural position.
Down the line I should be looking to a tented keyboard as well.
Hopefully I can grab the typeK done by gok.

Things are already starting to improve, so that’s that.

[HungerMechanic]

I am glad that you’re finding better ergonomic solutions and training.

With regard to switches, I think it’s helpful to move away from modern heavy tactiles. Even an Ergo Clear with 205g0 and 65 G TX is easier, and I can recommend others. The ‘big crash’ of heavy tactiles that you alluded to is not helpful towards ergonomic typing for many people, I think.

[Eloi]

I am now on alpacas 60g after I tried the 45g and found them too light.

[Scriba]

I would be interested to know if an Alice layout (or the advanced layout from the Sagittarius) would already help a bit in this respect or if the keyboard has to be tented.

[Eloi]

Alice layout would help not keeping your hand like this which leads to wrist pain

while tented promotes a more natural vertical position of the hand.

I consider tented to be more ergonomic.

But why not a mix