Dvorak Dan

Honest answer from a Dvorak user since 2018: my top speed on Dvorak (132) is about 10% higher than my QWERTY peak (~120). The bigger win is comfort — fewer finger gymnastics, less hand strain on long days. But you'll lose 6–8 weeks dropping to ~30 WPM before climbing back. Not worth it for speed alone. Worth it if you also have RSI concerns.

Mechanical won't make you faster directly. It will make you less tired, which lets you practice more, which makes you faster. Get a decent tactile switch on a 60–65% layout and call it done.

Stop, see a hand specialist, and don't take internet advice (including mine) as medical. That said: dull pain on one side is often related to wrist deviation from a non-split keyboard. A split layout (ZSA Voyager, Moonlander, Keychron Q11) puts each hand at a natural angle. Made a huge difference for me.