Dvorak proponents usually claim two points: 1. Less wrist strain, 2. Faster typing

I've experienced both, but I know that the second point is controversial. As for less wrist strain, I don't think there's as much (any?) controversy. As a personal anecdote, I'm able to touch type both Qwerty and Dvorak. I can feel my wrists get sore after ~15min on Qwerty, but I've been known to go for 2 hrs at a time on Dvorak with little/no discomfort.

I've been a Dvorak user for over a decade, and have never turned back. However, I think the only reasons to switch are (one of): physical problems, and geek factor. I didn't get much of a speed boost, and I didn't have any pain or anything. For most normal people, it is not practical to switch, because you'll have too many days of horribly slow typing while you learn.

I just learned it for the same reason geeks generally use cutting edge stuff: Because I'm willing to try cool things out, and pay an initial learning curve cost on the chance that I might find something better to adopt and use.

I wrote more extensively on the Dvorak layout here: http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-437068.html#437068

I agree that using Dvorak is something you do for long-term benefit or prevention. Switching now probably isn't going to help the immediate physical problems of the OP.

I've switched to dvorak a year ago. I highly recommend it my wrist pain has disappear. And my typing speed is higher. (51 - 60 wpm in typeracer.com) Although I wasn't a good typist to begin with.

Although the research on this field has stopped since the first investigations from Dvorak. The empirical evidence is everywhere.

Highly recommended.

Some people claim learning Dvorak will actually slow down your typing speed on a QWERTY keyboard. Since typing is mostly done with muscle memory, knowing two layouts creates a bit of conflict when your brain tries to decide which finger to use to type a letter.

That said, you only run into that problem if you're forced to switch between a QWERTY and Dvorak layout often.