Ask HN: Constant pain in my hands, any advice?

See a doctor, get a referral to an ergonomic specialist.

Immediate action: try wearing a wrist brace, at least on the right hand. This will make a lot of activities difficult to do. That is the point.

In 1993 I went on a multi–night bender writing a gopher server that could also speak HTTP, using a keyboard and computer that weren't mine which didn't have a wrist rest. At the end of the bender I had a working gopher server, but my wrist had swollen so badly I couldn't type anymore (while the bones of my hand ached badly, the surface skin was numb). It took six months of working with a wrist brace to undo the damage and to this day it resurfaces from time to time.

If you catch it early enough, CTS can be handled by physical therapy. Go to an orthopedist.

Secondary: In some cases, reduced bloodflow can cause pain. Are you working in a place that has been notably colder since September? Perhaps wear a jacket while you work, and/or wear gloves when outside (smartphones have an unfortunate tendency to discourage glove use in weather that really does justify it).

Really, stop looking up stuff online (except to find a specialist ASAP). That will just inflame your condition even more. But do find specialist, right now, please. As in, call in sick to take a half or a full day off (just to find someone available and make an appointment) if you have to. That's what your sick days are for, actually.

Better, try to see at least 2, ideally 3 specialists. (That's what I've found to be prudent for any condition substantially "tricky" -- like potential nerve damage, for example). But definitely make sure to see someone as as soon as humanly and physically possible. Because that's how serious your situation is.

It isn't necessarily likely (so I don't want to sensationalize), but there's a significant chance that your condition can "tip" into a state such that the damage is essentially untreatable. Significant enough such that there's really no value proposition at all delaying action, any further.

Things I've done to completely get rid of wrist pain:

- use a Kinesis Advantage keyboard: works, but it's like, the wrist is still weak, and you can't use laptops (or mice?).

- use a piano keyboard: play the piano regularly, and vigorously. This makes my problems go away _completely_. And then I stop playing, and... a few years later, I get the problem again. So I start playing regularly again, and the problem's gone again. By vigorously I mean playing etudes that push the limits of your muscular endurance. Somebody mentioned physical therapy, and I think this is an example of that.

Note that one symptom of my problems was a loss of grip strength.

I think that even for non-ergonomic keyboards, the choice of keyboard matters a lot -- some keyboards require less hand strain to reliably actuate the keys -- less precise movements. For example, the last two Vaio Z models were horrible, compared to, say, Thinkpads. And some cheapo office keyboard is worse than something with a clear actuation point (such as Cherry MX or Topre or a buckling spring keyboard). Basically, I think whatever key switch is easiest to use in cold weather is better than the others.

I had acute pain in my right hand last year - went to a doctor, wore a brace, now use wrist pads, and it went away.

So I second the advice of seeing a doctor.

The week with the brace was awful, but, as other posters mention, it's the point :) .

I do live in a country where I can have a week off for medical reasons and still get paid though.

First recommendation: see a doctor. There can be many causes besides carpal tunnel.

I agree with all the others that say to go see a doctor. If you don't know the actual cause, any treatments you try are much less likely to fix it...