Be aware of your posture and sitting position when you write. Your body position affects the way you use your arm and hand.

Here are some hints to follow when writing:

• Avoid leaning heavily on your forearm.
• Keep your elbow positioned in an open angle (90 degrees or more). Wrist and hand strain increases the more your elbow bends.
• Keep your fingers relaxed. Your knuckles should not be curled up or turn white when you write.
• Reduce finger motions. Use your wrist and forearm to move the pen or pencil rather than your fingers.
• Re-orient your writing paper or use an inclined surface to keep your wrist relaxed, especially for left-handed writing.
• If writing hurts your thumb, try holding the pen in the web space between your index and middle fingers.
• Handwrite rather than print. Large, cursive style writing causes less strain than printing small letters.
• Select large diameter pens and pencils or use rubber grips to reduce gripping force.
• Place Leaf-It-Finger dots or grips on fingers to increase friction. Tape or tubing can be applied to pens and pencils to increase surface friction.
• Replace standard ballpoint pens with easy flow ink fountain pens, roller balls, and gel ink pens.
• Write at a reasonable pace with frequent breaks.