While many study participants were surprised by the findings, their meaning is quite clear. But that was true of both groups of participants-meaning that the extra expense of ergonomic keyboards just isn’t worth it. About 80% of participants were pain-free after two months. The somewhat surprising finding was that using an ergonomic keyboard had no effect on the pain level of participants. About half of participants used an ergonomic keyboard, while the other half used a standard keyboard. Participants also filled out weekly surveys rating their pain levels. Using special technology, Baker videotaped participants typing.

Their injuries included problem with hands, wrists, necks, and/or backs. She conducted an experiment with 77 subjects, all of whom suffered injuries related to typing. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health funded Baker’s research. Nancy Baker is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, holding a PhD in therapeutic studies. However, academic research has demonstrated that this is not actually the case. The big selling point of ergonomic keyboards is that they prevent typing injuries and are useful to people who already have typing-related injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Ergonomic keyboards don’t actually protect against injury, or help users recover from typing-related injuries. Here are the top six reasons why you shouldn’t waste money on an ergonomic keyboard: 1. Before shelling out additional cash or more on an ergonomic keyboard, you should be aware of recent research suggesting that the benefits of ergonomic keyboards are outright untrue. The general idea is that ergonomic keyboards are more comfortable to use, lessen muscle strain while typing, and possibly reduce the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome. In recent years, ergonomic keyboards have been all the rage.

Ergonomic mac keyboard