as long as your freehub body will accept a 10 speed cassette, setup of the system should be pretty straight forward. the only real factor sounds like your personal preference to the feel of the shifting performance between SRAM and Shimano.
it appears to me as though you may want to do some adjusting concerning the orientation of your shifters and/or brake levers. you shouldn't be forced to move your wrist as dramatically as you described to perform a shift, regardless if your shifters are SRAM or Shimano. take a look and make sure first that, while in riding position, you can reach for and pull your brake levers without changing the angle of your wrists - you should be able to simply reach 1 or 2 fingers out for the lever and pull without any movement at the wrist. once you have that dialed, position the shifter pods so you can perform a shift with your thumbs, and if you choose Shimano, your fingers as well, and make sure the position is such that your wrist doesn't move.
not only will ^^^ this procedure make things easier in the cockpit for you but you'll likely notice riding becomes more comfortable.
and, as Dirt has indicated, while upgrading your drivetrain is always a good time - it's not always the best place to sink money into. you already have a 2x system - going to a 2x10 doesn't gain you much at all, really - you've gotta buy a new RD, a cassette, and a chain...and, you may want to consider a bashguard.
in my mind, save your $ and put it towards a durable and reliable wheelset as jjohnson suggested, or save your pennies for a new bike altogether.
Last edited by jimithng23; 03-24-2013 at 08:39 AM.
"ya, well...that's like...your...opinion. man."