A lot of people are talking about better ergonomics, which is great and helpful for preventing symptoms. But for me, what helped most to reverse my symptoms was performing finger extension exercises throughout the day.

Mouse clicking is all finger flexion so you need to balance that out by working the opposite muscles. Finger extension stretches (lifting one finger at a time off a table; stretches the flexor muscles), finger tendon glide, and finger spreads (spreading fingers apart with a resistance band; strengthens extensor muscles; my fav) have all been incredibly helpful in managing symptoms.

Ball squeezes on the other hand aggravate my symptoms because they work the same muscles and motions that clicking does. So don’t do those.

A huge one for me is the desk. Height adjustable chairs are standard. Height adjustable desks need to be also - you are unlikely to be one of the rare humans with exactly the right torso/arm size for the standard desk height.

The standard height was normalised when everyone wrote with a pen - it’s just too high for typing even for me and I’m very tall. Look up the proper arm/wrist/head angles, you’ll see it’s not possible to achieve unless your feet are on a tall footrest and your chair goes higher than the standard office chair height. It’s far more practical to lower the desk than raise your feet/butt.

Quality electric height adjustable desks are affordable these days, so aside from that benefit you can also spend some of your time standing up (don’t stand all day - also start with short stints and build up to longer ones).

Monitor height is important too. I’ve never found a monitor that comes with a stand that is high high enough for me and laptops are obviously way too low. VESA arms are best - but books work too. The main advantage for VESA over a stack of books is you can put other stuff where the books are.

I personally don’t think ergonomic keyboard/mice are the way to go. They tend to force you to keep your arms/hands in exactly the same position. It might be a comfortable position but it’s still no good to repeat exactly the same muscle movements over and over.

Instead, go with a (good) regular keyboard, maybe a split one but not a sculpted one. Your hands should “float” while typing with just your finger tips touching the keys, don’t let your palms touch anything - your arms should be moving while typing not fixed in one spot. It will take time to get used to this, but it’s worth it.

For the mouse… learn as many keyboard shortcuts as you can and get yourself a desktop trackpad, put it where laptop trackpads are, for scrolling, gestures, etc. You won’t have RSI issues form mouse use if all you do is click on things where you actually need to do that.

If you’re going to a doctor… be careful. Most of them really don’t know anything about this issue and unless they’re a friend or family they likely won’t be willing to spend the time necessary to research it just for you. I’m not saying don’t go to a doctor but make sure you find a specialist and verify anything they tell you. I’ve received some really bad advice from doctors.

See a doctor in sports medicine, physical therapist, or occupational therapist. Basically someone with a medial background specializing in the musculoskeletal system.

I while back I had an issue with tennis elbow and numbness in my hand. I went to a doctor specializing in orthopedics and sports medicine. First visit was an exam and ultrasound of my elbow. He also asked things like how I slept, and if I was sleeping on my arm. There was some swelling and inflammation, but noting too major. He referred me to a physical therapist.

I saw the physical therapist for a few weeks. It was mostly teaching me how to do certain stretching exercises and strengthening the muscles in the area. There were some massages with a muscle scraper. That was weird and not pleasant at first, but did help.

I dislike having to disrupt my computer activities every hour

Nobody likes being taken out of the zen that is being in a flow state, but humans evolved to walk and move around a lot. Take breaks and go for short walks. If I were to give advice to my younger self, it would be to take up running. Humans and a few of our domesticated species are the only ones that can run for long distances. Some members of the species enjoy running for long distances and do it recreationally. They often say they enter a flow state while running.

I go to the gym 3 times a week to prevent any kind of injuries like back pains, obesity or carpal tunnel. Before I started I was nearing the “severe obesity” bmi value and had constant back pains. Getting fitter decreases risk of illness and injuries.

As for the repetitive motions. I have ADHD so I’m always moving some parts of my body. :/

I had been struggling with severe RSI for a few years and no one thing helped. I would try something out and the pain would return in a few weeks. What eventually completely solved my problem is variation. I have several working spots using different devices (traditional mouse, vertical mouse, thumb balls, trackballs, pen tables, touchscreens). I’ve made sure to just change posture and devices every few weeks. Ever since doing that, my problems have completely gone away. A mobile standing desk that you can adjust for squatting to slouching to sittin to standing and walking is great adds a ton of variation.