I tend to get considerable pain in my forearms when I've been typing too much for too long, and I've found the easiest thing that helps is rock climbing. As little as an hour a week is enough to keep the pain and discomfort away, and it only takes two or three times of doing it after a "break" before the pain is gone.
I'm not sure why adding more muscle strain to the equation (when I'm in shape I climb 5.10/low 5.11) helps, but I've read that it's important to balance strength with agility, so maybe that's related somehow. Anyhow, climbing is a ton of fun, and anybody with bad RSI who's already using a trackball and an ergo keyboard should give it a shot.
My guess: you're stretching the muscles overall and strengthening the ones that get neglected while you type. You're not far off from my own approach of lifting weights and using an elliptical to shake off the pain. Finally, there's probably some endorphins in the mix...
I'm not sure why adding more muscle strain to the equation (when I'm in shape I climb 5.10/low 5.11) helps, but I've read that it's important to balance strength with agility, so maybe that's related somehow. Anyhow, climbing is a ton of fun, and anybody with bad RSI who's already using a trackball and an ergo keyboard should give it a shot.