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Dvorak Keyboards
Ask three people about Dvorak keyboards and, chances are, two of them won't even know what you are talking about. Although the the Dvorak keyboard has been around for more than 70 years now, it is still virtually unknown outside of certain very narrow groups. Up until I had a problem with repetitive stress injuries, I too had no idea about Dvorak keyboards. I certainly didn't know that it would be easy to switch my keyboard to Dvorak, and I had no idea how much help that switch would be for me.
Dvorak keyboards are not that different from the standard QWERTY keyboard. The main difference is that they are more scientifically designed. You see, in a Dvorak keyboard, the keys are arranged based on letter frequency. In other words, the keys that you have to use most often are all together in the home row. This means that you can type faster, that you will not have to reach your fingers into unnatural positions as often, and thus that you'll be less likely to be injured by typing too much.
I never would have even heard of Dvorak keyboards if it weren't for my carpal tunnel syndrome. I spent hours a day typing at the computer, and all this typing took its toll on my wrists eventually. For several weeks I could not even type and, after that, I had to wear a brace. Although I could use dictation software for some of my work, some of it just demanded keyboard use. When my physical therapist recommended that I try out a Dvorak keyboard, I figured I would take his advice.
One thing I have to stress is that Dvorak keyboards are not a miracle cure. Using one will not immediately make your carpal tunnel syndrome go away, for example. What it will do is reduce the amount of strain put on your wrists, and that can often alleviate enough of the stress that you put on them to make the carpal tunnel syndrome eventually go away on its own. In my case, the Dvorak keyboard made the critical difference. I continued to heal even though I was back to typing for several hours a day, and eventually I recovered completely. I certainly don't give my keyboard all the credit – wrist braces, better typing habits, and physical therapy had a lot to do with it – but it certainly did make a difference.
Summary
Dvorak keyboards differ from traditional keyboards in the fact that keys that are most used are palced closer together. The result of this is much quicker typing as well as less wrist and hand strain from reaching for certain letters. You can find these helpful keyboards online or at your local computer store.
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