Many keyboards over the past 10 -15 years have been designed with small legs at the back of the keyboard to allow you to lift the back of the keyboard up while you type.
Are keyboard legs a cause of wrist pain
Lifting the back of the keyboard up makes the hands type with the wrist in a position with too much angle. Holding the hand up in this position requires more muscle work than typing with a flat hand posture. It also results in more pressure on the underside of the wrist when keying which can also cause problems. Find out more about wrist rests.
In fact recent research has shown that having the hand position tilted in a downwards position results in lower hand and forearm discomfort.
The only problem is that many computer users are not touch typists and if the keyboard and keys are tilted down it can make it more difficult to type. Sometimes it will result in you learning forward more to see the keys and this of course will put strain on your neck and shoulders.
Learning to touch type may be the answer
So it’s a balance between positioning the keyboard so the hands and wrists are comfortable and positioning the keyboard so you can see what you’re doing. Of course if you are a good touch typist than this isn’t going to be a problem because you don’t need to look at your hands – and perhaps that is the answer. If you have hand and wrist problems you could improve your keying skills and then you will have more options as to the position and type of keyboard you can use.
Its why some of the newer keyboards such as the Microsoft natural do not have legs and try to accommodate what is called the negative tilt of a keyboard. The only drawback is that it is a bulky keyboard to fit on the desk because it has a fixed angle curved keyboard with an integral palm rest