Wrist Pain
mechanical_fish: First: You need to take this very seriously. "Dull, persistent numbness 24/7"? Get thee to a doctor who will react to this news with action. If nothing else, get referred to a physical therapist.Don't use pads or braces without medical advice. You can actually injure yourself more by bracing your arms, wrists, or hands against things.Don't assume your wrists are the problem. I have had occasional wrist pain or numbness for twenty years, most of which turns out to emanate from a nerve pinch in my shoulders. Doing certain shoulder exercises makes the wrists feel great. Again: find a doctor or a PT who will give you specific advice.Don't think that gadgets and gimmicks are the whole solution. They can be useful -- I swear by my Kinesis Advantage keyboard, I have Ergotron monitor arms to put monitors precisely where they need to be, I have a keyboard drawer with an adjustable arm to adjust height, tilt, and distance and with an attached mouse support that I've tinkered with to get the height correct -- but this is secondary stuff. The real secret for me is exercise, strategically placed pillows and cushions [1] and, of course, rest breaks. Get some software that orders you to take breaks, like Workrave or AntiRSI for the Mac. Try not to learn to ignore the software.Get into shape. You would be surprised at the extent to which walking and biking will improve the health of your wrists, not to mention the rest of your health.EDIT: Oh, and codedevine is right: Be very careful using laptops, and don't use one for any length of time. They force you into specific postures which are generally terrible. I get away with using mine for one or two days at a time, but only because I've been diligent with my health.---[1] For the back, not the wrists. Don't rest your wrists on things!