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GUI Software Hardware

Suggestions for an Ergonomic Mouse? 127

Posted by Cliff from the keyboards-aren't-the-only-wrist-enemies-out-there dept.
pawul13 asks: "I've seen lots of articles and suggestions on ergonomic keyboards (and I have the excellent kinesis version, which helps tremendously), but what about mice? I'm currently experiencing a lot of pain, but only in my 'mouse' wrist. I have a semi-ergo Logitech, but it's not doing it. Does anyone have suggestions for the best ergo mouse (Trackball, optical, whatever, it doesn't matter)?" There was a similar question from January, but it may have been too limited.
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Suggestions for an Ergonomic Mouse? More

Suggestions for an Ergonomic Mouse?

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  • Right and left handed both (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    The best mouse is symmetrical, and works left-handed and right-handed both. It either has no scroll-wheel, or has a very low wheel so it isn't bumped all the time when reaching the index finger to the left mouse button (I'm tired of having to gouge out the scroll wheel because it is always getting in the way of simple mouse clicks)
    • Here's a crazy idea. Instead of using your index finger to operate both mouse buttons (which is what I gathered from your post) and risk bumping into the mouse wheel, use your index finger for the right mouse button (you're a lefty as well, I take it?) and your middle finger for the left. Then you don't risk bumping into the scroll wheel, since you're not moving your index finger around. Works wonders.
      • I'm right handed, and my index and middle fingers won't cross that way!
        • I'm left handed and have always used my mouse on the right because it's too much of a pain to swap it around everywhere I go (and change the mouse buttons). Oddly enough the only person I know who uses a left hand style mouse is right handed (she likes to be able to use both mouse and numberpad.
      • First finger on left button
        Second finger on middle/wheel
        Third finger on right button

        Takes time to get used to if you're used to 2-button mice, but this is simply the most natural way to hold it. This way you get access to all 3 buttons without moving any of the fingers at all! (except for up-down motion)

  • Well... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by hookedup ( 630460 ) on Wednesday April 07, 2004 @12:42PM (#8793453)
    One of the ladies here at work complained about her wrist being sore from being at a PC for 8 hours a day. We gave her a trackball, and I have not seen her extension # show up on my phone since.

    Give it a shot.

    • Re:Well... (Score:3, Informative)

      by hookedup ( 630460 )
      Failing that, and you want to look uber at the same time?

      May i introduce to you, the Ergonomic Vertical Mouse [keytools-e...mics.co.uk]

      Comes in USB too!

    • Re:Well... (Score:4, Funny)

      by isorox ( 205688 ) on Wednesday April 07, 2004 @01:05PM (#8793736) Homepage Journal
      Perhaps her wrist died completely and she can't pick up the phone?

    • Re:Well... (Score:2, Informative)

      by ballwall ( 629887 )
      I started using one of these [logitech.com] years ago. It's not one that you have to somehow convince your index finger to move from side to side, and they recently increased the arch to better fit your hand at rest. Highly recommended.

      • Re:Well... (Score:2, Informative)

        by PainKilleR-CE ( 597083 )
        Or if you're like me and your thumb is completely inaccurate as a pointing device (but have no problems moving your index finger side-to-side), there's this [logitech.com] or this [microsoft.com]. The latter is the one I currently use, and the former is the one I'm currently looking at, since MS hasn't released a wireless version of their trackball yet.

        My recommendation is to go down to BestBuy or some other large store and check out a couple of them to see how they feel. I have pretty bad problems with carpal tunnel when I use a standa

        • I will second the Trackball Explorer. It takes some getting used to, but there is no way I would ever use a thumb trackball again. Still pretty expensive to buy in the stores (~40 USD) but you can pick one up on Ebay for a good price if you catch it right.

          Also, I don't use the same thing for work and home. I use the Trackball and work and a regular USB optical mouse at home just to give everything a break.

        • Well I've used both thumb trackballs and index finger trackballs, and my index finger just ends up being bent in weird ways. The thumb motion seems much more natural to me (personal preference of course).

          Doug
        • 'nuff said. I love this trackball. Precise, wireless, runs for weeks on a battery (I have rechargables, change maybe every 6 weeks) and extremely comfortable.

          Only downside is a lack of a scroll wheel, but I use the keyboard / arrow keys for most things like that.

        • I have the Microsoft trackball that you linked to. It's well-designed, but poorly built. The ball, buttons and wheel are well-positioned, but there are lots of details that were done wrong. The sensor is in a little nook that is left open, making it a very effective dirt trap. At least once a day the thing stops working and I have to pop the ball out and clean that little nook. Usually it's just one barely-visible little fiber from clothing or carpet or something. The last trackball I had (logitech two-but

      • Re:Well... (Score:2, Interesting)

        by Satan Dumpling ( 656239 )
        Yes, I like the Trackman Wheel. I have been using one of those at home for quite a while, and I like it. Wanted a trackball for trackball Mame games actually. Just bought one for work too bacause I got tired of switching back and forth. Half.com had the best price. Doesn't take that long to get used to, but it really annoys anyone who wants to borrow my computer for a FPS...
      • Ditto. Except I have even an older model (three button, no scroll). In my opinion it's even more ergonomic because it has a flatter shape you can rest your hand on without the need to "grip" it. I bought three on eBay because Logitech doesn't make this model any more. My current one has lasted ten years, but it never hurts to play it safe...
    • Worked for me, too. Switching from a mouse to a trackball eliminated the pain in my wrist.

    • Re:Well... (Score:2, Informative)

      by mschaef ( 31494 )
      I'd try a couple things. Given that you have a Kinesis keyboard, if you have the Ergo (split, dished) keyboard, you can try putting one of the smaller Cirque touchpads between the two halves of the keyboard. That elimininates reaching over to the side to use the mouse (very important, see below), and also lets you use a different set of muscles to do your pointing.

      Another option is to try a trackball. I have a microsoft Trackball explorer optical (think I got the name right), and that did my index fingers
    • I bought a used trackball about 9 years ago and tried it. Next I bought another trackball for a second computer. Now we all have logitech marble mouse (trackball) and even the high-end dual-laser mice on our engineering workstations at work dont measure up in comfort.

      Think about it. You move two fingers instead of the whole arm (or 5 fingers for smaller mice, try moving less than that), and its actually more precise and faster. Counterstrike can be played faster with it for example... the momemtum of a mou
    • I too would strongly recommend a trackball. Back in 1990, I started to get wrist/elbow/hand problems. On the advice of a coworker, I tried a Kensington trackball [kensington.com]. Problems disappeared!

      Added bonus: Within a week, I found I had a much greater precision and control over the cursor with the trackball than I ever had with the mouse (at the time I switched, I had been using a mouse for ~4 years).

      Since moving to PowerBooks as my primary platform about 5 years ago, I don't use a trackball much. But I still lov
  • How far are we from that actually that it's no longer an instrument that we're using, but actions we perform withour own bodies which is interpreted by the machine?
  • I had these problems once. I got one of the big trackballs that's operated with the palm and thumb. It did help my wrist but after a while I started getting should pains (from moving my arm instead of my wrist). So I switched back to the mouse again for a while and so forth. Thing is that any repetitive motion is bad so by varying the device you can give each "pain-point" some rest now and then.

    Still waiting for the thought-controlled input device, but then I guess that will just give you a headache instea

    • This is very true: I use one of the Apple "soapbar" mice, and a Kensington Expert Mouse Pro trackball, and I switch mice and handedness every couple of weeks. It's helped a great deal. I found that it's not that hard to develop the ability to use your mouse with either hand.

      'jfb

  • Have you considered a writing tablet? (Score:5, Informative)

    by kenthorvath ( 225950 ) on Wednesday April 07, 2004 @12:45PM (#8793486)
    Wacom [wacom.com] has a wonderful selection of writing tablets for various uses (web designer, artist, general use, etc...) and I have found it to be quit relaxing and natural to use, especially if you grew up using pencil and paper to do things. According to their website, it helps reduce Repetitive Stress Injury, and they have several testimonials to that effect.
    • Agreed... mod parent up as Informative. I sold them at retail several years ago and wondered why anyone would spend the money. Then I worked for them. Despite having left under less-than-ideal circumstances with my supervisor, their product is awesome (I have one at my new job and at home).

  • Daily Planet (Score:5, Interesting)

    by dJCL ( 183345 ) on Wednesday April 07, 2004 @12:46PM (#8793512) Homepage
    Actually, there was a short segment on Daily Planet the other day that mentioned mouse hand pains. They stated that researchers had determined that just moving your mouse to the other side of the keyboard and using your other hand was enough to make a lot of the pains go away and never come back!

    Basic idea: you reach past your number keys to get to the mouse, so moving to the other side reduces hand travel to get there. And anyone can adapt to the mouse on the other side, even without changing buttons... Try it, and you may not have to spend money to solve your problems.

    Anyway...
    • I'll second this. For a while, I had to use a Mac "hockey puck" mouse in addition to my normal workstation. Ow ow ow!!

      I switched to using the puck lefty, normal desktop righty, no more pain. Hopefully that doesn't screw up my neural pathways too much. :)
      • Meh. I liked those pucks. A lot depended on how you held them. I found the best way was to make a sort of cage with your fingertips around the mouse, and to move it from the edges.

        As for a suggestion, I'd like to put the scrollwheel on the side so that it's controllable with the thumb, and make it a jog wheel so that there's no need to give it a whirl, move the controlling digit back into place, and repeat.
    • This is EXACTLY what worked for me, on advice from the on-site nurse at my last employer. If your mouse is on the left you don't have to reach as far out to use it. Also, it more evenly divides your hand-intensive work between your left and right hands (assuming you're a righty, you will be writing with your right hand and mousing with the left).

      The other thing that helped was getting a keyboard tray that I could adjust to the right height. I'm short and using a keyboard on a desk means my hands are up

    • Re:Daily Planet (Score:2, Informative)

      by gorgano ( 155625 )
      I was going to say the same thing.. but sence it's already been pointed out, i'll just confirm that this does work. I used to have extream pain him my writs (right). I couldn't take it anymore and desided to try and switch it over to the left. It take a few weaks to get used to, but sence i've switched over i've had very little pain that that wrist. When i do, i just switch back to the right side for a while.

      Plus, it gives you the added benfit of being able to laugh at anyone that trys to use your comp

  • Is a mouse really needed? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by menscher ( 597856 ) <menscher+slashdot@u i u c . e du> on Wednesday April 07, 2004 @12:59PM (#8793663) Homepage Journal
    Just try to use the keyboard more. Don't copy/paste with a mouse, use y and p (in vi, of course).

    Also, I agree with another poster that a large part of the problem is because of that silly numeric keypad wasting 6" of space past the right side of my keyboard. Might be worth finding a keyboard without that (course, they're really useful when typing numbers, but that's another matter).

    I also suspect that a lot of extra effort is put into pressing , since it's so far away. I've actually adapted into pressing ^H by habit. But that doesn't always work: brings up browser history, etc. Also, if you accidentally type rm -rf / and mean to hit ^H but miss and hit ^J....

  • The ones made by chproducts were the best. Unfortunately they were the msot expensive, so ch products got out of that business. I still have one on an older machine and it is still working after about 10 years of use.

    I really got into these when I was helping a parapelegic work out how to use his computer. He had pencils that were strapped to his hands to work with. A mouse was horrible for him to use, but a simple change to one of these trackballs worked great.

    If you see any of these on e-bay with th

    • Re:A good trackball (Score:3, Informative)

      by elmegil ( 12001 )
      My favorite has been this one [amazon.com] (Logitech Trackman Marble FX) for a long time now. Unfortunately, Logitech no longer manufactures them, so good luck finding it. But it has an oversize ball, so you get greater precision and less strain, and the positioning of the ball is such that you can use all your fingers (except maybe the pinkie) on the ball, so you don't have one finger getting all the traffic. It's a little weird to get used to at first, because you have to use your thumb rather than index finger to
  • Many of my co-workers use these mice from Contour Designs.

    You can check them out here [contourdesign.com]
  • The best, most comfortable mouse I have ever owned was a Logitech Mouseman Wheel. It's secret is twofold: first, it slopes very much downward to the right, following the natural shape of your hand. Second, it's very long. Check some pictures here [hardwarecentral.com] and here [hardwarecentral.com], and a review here [hardwarecentral.com]. I unfortunately had to give up my original wired ball model, since I need cordless capability. Logitech made a wired ball version, a wireless ball version, and a wired optical version... but never followed it up with a wireless opt
    • I have the wireless (with ball) version of this mouse and absolutely love it. One other thing that you didn't mention is that the thumb button on this mouse is perfectly under the thumb when the hand is at rest on the mouse, unlike my Microsoft 5 button mouse (which requires that I bring my thumb up an inch above where it is when the hand is relaxing at rest on the mouse.) It seems like a little thing, and it probably is - but add up a bunch of little things and that is what makes a really nice mouse.
    • Mouseman Wheel (the one farthest to the right) was the best mouse I have ever owned. The latter versions (the other two depicted) were not (in my opinion) angled enough. They were only sufficiently angled so that you'd be annoyed that they weren't as good as the original. Luckily, I worked in a computer store at the time, so I didn't have to buy stuff to check it out at home for a few weeks.
      I would also recommend getting that mouse, I still curse the day I sold mine (I got rid of all my equipment a few year
    • I have the iFeel version of this optical mouse. Though I've turned off the iFeel feedback (interesting, but really, just a novelty), I find I greatly prefer it to the Razor Boomslang sitting right next to it.

      It did take some getting used to though, because it doesn't feel like any other mouse out there.

  • The latest Evolution on the venerable design. This is the one with the buttons under the fingers and the ball under the thumb. I have never had issues with pain when using this mouse. I have been using the trackman series since my first PC capable of using/needing a mouse. Avoid the ones where the ball sits in the fron under the index/middle finger. That one will quickly cause problems in the wrist and lower arm, esspecially if you are already sensitive. They only complaint if I had to make one is I w
    • I have one the Trackmans with the ball under the fingers, and use it maybe 8 hours a day and have never had any trouble with RSI or other discomfort. Then again I've never had any trouble with any other mouse either, so maybe I'm just resilient ;)
    • I'll second this, I've been using the original Logitech Trackman Marble for many years both at home and at work. I've never found anything more comforatable and for those of us with cramped or cluttered workspaces, no need for space for a mouse pad.

      I tried one of the newer ones (with the wheel in place of the center button) and did not find it nearly as comfortable. Gave it to my 6yr old daughter and she seems happy with it. Certainly likes it better than the mouse she had before.
      • Yep, thats exactly the problem I have with it...I have the lastest one on my desk here (its all you can get now), and I have found it not quite as comfortable as the old one...(Plus honestly I miss my third button)...I'm not sure why they decided to drop the true third button from this model...I liked it..
        • I'm not sure why they decided to drop the true third button from this model

          Because some marketing puke at Logitech decided that no one used three buttons anyway, and so dropped it, but then introduced several new lines with five, six and seven buttons.

          I hate scrollwheels, but I can understand why some people want them. "Click on the scrollbar? That's like so 90's!" But why can they make a mouse/trackball with a choice? Pop off the wheel and pop on a button!

  • ergo is bad for your wrist (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Basje ( 26968 ) * <bas@bloemsaat.org> on Wednesday April 07, 2004 @01:08PM (#8793765) Homepage
    an ergonomic mouse forces your hand to always have the exact same position. Hence, the movements will always be the same and repetitive.

    You'd be best off with the old amiga mouses or something: square. You'd end up shifting your hand from time to time since it's uncomfortable, in the long run it's more comforatble.
    • You'd end up shifting your hand from time to time since it's uncomfortable, in the long run it's more comforatble.

      *bzzzzt* Wrong! That discomfort is a warning that you're doing damage to your body. By the time you get around to doing something about the pain, the damage is done.
  • like one of these [fellowes.com]. I use one and love it. Have one for the keyboard too.

  • What you probably want is a full-size trackball.

    These are not necessarily easy to find at consumer electronics stores. What they carry are el-cheapo trackballs, which may have the word "ergonomic" on them and some funky curved design, but they're awful to use.

    The ones we have are made by Mouse-Trak [mouse-trak.com] and look as ugly as hell, cost $150 each, but are a joy to use. They are used 24x7 and are in place on 8-CRT consoles, so they get heavily used and abused, and we send a few dozen back in each year to get r

    • Kensington has recently upgraded it's full-sized trackball line with wireless optical [kensington.com] and regular optical [kensington.com] lines. I would strongly recommend an optical ball over a mechanical one. While I've had Expert Mice for the past 12 years (2 of them, both still working), making them optical fixes any problems with dirty balls not scrolling correctly. They're all terribly comfortable, and use a ball exactly the same size and shape as a billiard ball.

  • I too had a lot of wrist pain due to mousing, until I got a Thinkpad and started to use the trackpoint. These keyboards are also available for desktop machines. What I wonder is, will it work with a Mac?

    http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/documen t.do?lndocid=MIGR-4WKSWX
    • I personaly think that a touchpad is the best option for pain as you are only moving your finger. This really reduces any discomfort. May I reccommend using the middle finger for movement and the index finger for clicking. In this way you rest your palm on the edge and index finger on the button. With this setup there is almost no movement. Tip 2 relax your hand... many people really GRIP their mouse... there is no need! Tip3 take your screen breaks... not just your hands suffer but also your eyes.
    • I agree. Have one here at work and 2 at home, with mice plugged in as well.

      What really cheeses me off lately is that I'd like to buy a laptop. I've got an IBM Thinkpad that I love, but it's getting long in the tooth. IBM and Dell are the only 2 that I've found so far that still have a trackpoint in their laptops.... IBM's too pricey, and I'm using a Dell laptop here at work and while it's nice, I don't like it that much...

  • How you use it (Score:5, Informative)

    by DaRat ( 678130 ) * on Wednesday April 07, 2004 @01:26PM (#8793983)
    Having a mouse that is comfortable for you is important (and highly dependent on personal preference), but how you use it is even more important. Many people end up gripping the mouse tightly, angling their hand up, and using the wrist for side to side motion too much. A light touch, letting the mouse go when not using it, and using your entire arm will help quite a bit. Also, just taking short breaks every 30 minutes to an hour will really help.
  • I've read a few things on the net which state that reducing palm down position reduces pain. Apparently, the natural position for your hand and wrist is palm inwards. Here is one of the palm in style ergo mice I found:

    http://www.handshakemouse.com/index.htm
  • Try adjusting your sitting position, chair height, equipment placement, etc. It may not be the mouse that's causing the problem. A good mouse can still give you pain if your body is positioned wrong.
  • And when my Logitec died, I switched to a Microsoft [snopes.com] Optical Trackball. The PS2 version is something like $35 at Wally World.

    Despite the fact that I have bad thumbs (several sprains while skateboarding in my youth), using a trackball has never caused fatigue.

    Plus, I find the trackball better for gaming (UT2K4, etc).
  • I looked at the ergo characteristics for that side of the desk. I raised my armrest to support my arm, not just my elbow, and also added a gel wrist support for directly under my wrist. Now, my mousing arm is mostly supported from elbow to wrist, and it has helped a lot.

    For the mouse itself, I've had real good luck w. MS Optical mice, work mouse is Intellimouse Explorer 3.0, home mouse is 4.0 (side scroll wheel, very nice). Say what you will about MS software, they make/license a real nice mouse and keyb
  • Some time after I started my career working full time at the computer, I also developed pain in my wrist of my mousing hand. For a long time I couldn't figure out why--I suppose I was in denial that something so seemingly innocuous as using a mouse could injure me. Finally, acting on a hunch, I started using a mouse pad that had a gel pad to rest my wrist on, and I immediately felt more comfortable. The pain went away and that wrist has not bothered me ever since.

    P.S. I have been using just ordinary
  • I have long hands and a typical mouse does not fit me at all. Silly putty [sillyputty.com] is great for modifing the shape of my mouse to better fit my hand. So order up a convenient 5 pound blob [crayola.com] and experience ergonomic nirvana.
  • That is right, use your other hand, what better way to relief the stress in one hand that distributing it amongst the two of them?

    One day you use the right hand, the other you use the left (make sure you change your mouse driver to the correct hand, that way your brain learns faster to use the mouse with the hand you are less comfortable with, i.e. dont use always the same mouse configuration, that will confuse you).

    As other have commented, also change the device you use. One week use a mouse, another us

  • FingerWorks iGesture no-button touchpad (Score:4, Informative)

    by David Jao ( 2759 ) * <djao@dominia.org> on Wednesday April 07, 2004 @02:22PM (#8794760) Homepage
    I know this recommendation sounds silly to many people here who hate touchpads to death, but let me finish this post before you pass judgment.

    The FingerWorks iGesture [fingerworks.com] touchpad is a zero force, no button, standard USB interface mouse that has none of the annoying features of standard touchpads and is just as efficient as a standard mouse with none of the strain.

    It uses different finger combinations to trigger different mouse functions such as left click, right click, drag, scroll wheel, and so on. It can sense which fingers you are using, and most importantly, it doesn't trigger mouse motion when you accidentally brush your hand against it because it can tell the difference between your fingers and your hand.

    The iGesture pad is good enough to recommend even to people without wrist pain. But for anyone who actually is suffering physical strain from mouse use, it's almost a no-brainer.

    (I have no relationship to FingerWorks except as a user of their products.)

  • What is it with this... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by cr0sh ( 43134 ) on Wednesday April 07, 2004 @02:23PM (#8794771) Homepage
    Every now and then we see stories about ergonomic this, rsi that, carpal tunnel, etc. I have no doubt that people are experiencing pain, and that they are experiencing it while using a keyboard or mouse.

    However, I wonder if there isn't something more with CT/RSI. Why, for instance, do some people suffer from it, while others don't? For instance, I have never had (and here's hoping I don't ever have, from what I have read of the pain, it is HORRIBLE) any form of wrist or hand pain on a recurring, repeatable basis.

    I have been using computers for almost 20 years now. If anything, I should be a case for "computer ailments". My first computer was a TRS-80 Color Computer 2 when I was 10 years old. I had it hooked up to a 19 inch color TV in my bedroom that I sat right in front of ("don't sit too close or you'll go blind" - I guess my parents didn't believe that applied with a computer - I used that TV as a *monitor*. MMM...32x16 black on green - ok, I'll admit, I am pretty nearsighted). From that time on I have pretty much sat in front of a computer of one sort or another coding.

    Twenty plus years later here I am typing some more, and I haven't had any carpal flareups or anything like I have heard described. I have had minor pain in one wrist, that went away when I stopped - so I would stop, but that hasn't happened to me in months, if not over a year. It wasn't anything like the pain I hear described by sufferers of CT/RSI - so I think I just was tired, so I rested - seemed simple (or, maybe I did, and I did the right thing to stop?).

    I have a wristrest in front of my keyboard at work, and at home I use a Model M (yay, clicky!)...

    Is it me, am I lucky? Could it be a genetic predisposition for some folks? Are they doing something or working in a manner different from me that causes it? I will admit that I don't have a normal typing style, it is kinda "homegrown" over the years - is this the reason? Do people with CT/RSI who use keyboards tend to be those who practice real typing skills? Could these skills, being applied to a type of keyboard (that is, soft electronic, not mechanical) not in existence when the style of teaching was thought up (ie, back when typewriters were first being made), be the problem?

    • You are lucky. Though I find the Model M helps a lot myself, so your luck is both that your genetics are right, and you have found good equipment. I have both carpal tunnel, and a more generic wrist pain. Carpal tunnel isn't a problem I get from computer (though others do), but rather physical labor. (Good equipment helps there too, my $100 hammer really makes the pain go away!) From the computer I get wrist pain, which I have traced to using the mouse for long periods. I've learned to switch hands

    • Keyboard position can be a huge factor here. You know those little stands under the far side of the kayboard that you can flip out to lean your keyboard toward you? Those things are from the devil. Having your keyboard tilted up toward you is one of the most uncomfortable, stressful things you can do to your wrists. If you have an adjustable keyboard tray, tilt the back of it downward, so it slopes away from you. That lets your wrists hang downward in a more normal position. Tilted farther is usually
      • Hmm - on my Model M at home, I actually have the tabs down, so that it is "flat" - I like it better that way. As I noted in my original posting, I don't have a wrist rest there...

        At work, I use an AST keyboard (probably the "next best" keyboard I have used and liked because of it's "feel"), but with the tabs up, and a wrist rest - I find that if I put the tabs down, it feels "wrong"...

        Hmm - maybe I will try with the tabs up again, and see if things are really as bad as I think...

    • One very critical factor, which I learned about from the surgeon who operated on my left wrist about two years
      after the surgery on my right, relates to whether the movement of a joint is a full extension/contraction cycle
      or a shorter "snubbed" movement. The shorter motion can cause problems by failing to distribute the sinovial fluid which
      lubricates joints and tendons, along the full length of a passage such as the Carpal Tunnel which carries the Radial Nerve
      through the wrist.

      Short motion>incomplete lu
  • Even though the basic problem seems to be with the mouse, the keyboard can be part of the problem. These bloated 102-key monsters force right-handed people to move their wrists at an awkward angle to get at the mouse. A good narrow keyboard helps there.

    My keyboard of choice is the Goldtouch [goldtouch.com]. I actually didn't switch to it for its ergonomic features, though these are very good. But my problem wasn't RSI, it was a tendency to hit the wrong cursor key. I saw a Goldtouch and was impressed by the unusual (but

  • Vertical Mouse (Score:2, Informative)

    by gujju ( 626201 )
    The other day I saw someone using a similar product to this Vertical Mouse [leftright.com]. I tried it out and it seemed pretty convenient.. Maybe it can solve your problem

    Gujju
  • I have a Logitech Trackman Wheel thumbwheel mouse. I had extensive reconstruction of my right arm, and have no wrist at all (having been replaced with a metal rod). I can use a regular mouse but it's difficult and slow. This thumbwheel solves the problem. In fact, after having used it only a couple weeks, I managed to win Windows Solitaire in less than 100 seconds, my previous best time with a regular never having broke 120 seconds, even before the wrist replacement.

    I consider the fact that it's difficult

  • You are unique! (Score:5, Informative)

    by bluGill ( 862 ) on Wednesday April 07, 2004 @03:02PM (#8795270)

    There are more than 100 different medical problems that the lower arm/wrist/hands can have. What will solve one problem may make a different one worse. You have to find what works for you. The ideas that others have poster may help. If your case is bad enough a good doctor might be able to help too.

    Some things that might help (in addition to what others have said): learn piano. Seriously, a good piano teacher will sit over you with a ruler and give you a good whack every time your poster gets off, take these habits to the computer and you better off. Note too that musicans have been facing problems like this for years (hundreds if not thousands), so if after getting the advice of your piano teacher it doesn't go away, you they can often recommend doctors who know more about this type of problem than the average doctor.

    Get a big trackball and place it on the floor. Rig up some foot pedals (at least for the left button...), and train your feet to do the work. You will still need a mouse for precision work, but this can take a lot of load off your hands.

    Stretch. Search the web and you will come up with a bunch of hand stretches. I find they help me, they might help you.

    Get in shape. Exercise can help in surprising ways, so if you are not in shape do it.

    Take a vacation. When my wrist problems got the worst, nothing was helping. After a week in the backcountry in a canoe I came back with no pain. All those tricks I was doing before prevented the problems from coming back. I needed time to heal though before they would work.

    Remember, nobody here is a medical doctor. Seek professional help if you need it. If things are getting worse stop.

    • Re:You are unique! (Score:3, Informative)

      by datababe72 ( 244918 )
      Please listen to this advice to go to a doctor! bluGill is absolutely right that there are many different things that might be causing your mouse arm pain. I have an injury to the muscle in my forearm that constricts the nerve that runs from my hand up my arm. This is very different from a carpal tunnel inflammation. This difference is important because the stretches that help this condition are completely different from the stretches that help carpal tunnel.

      I caused my injury doing mouse-intensive work on
  • I rather like the Razer Boomslang for two reasons:

    - It has a very low profile
    - It has extremely high resolution, so I hardly have to move my hand to use it accurately.
  • As a wrist and shoulder rsi victim, I found after trying a dozen of "especially designed" and priced accordingly devices that this is the most conveniant and relieves more muscles than any other i've tried. Wheelmouses should be banned anyway, those are great for home use. Do not try to scroll trough your daily portion of screeninfo please .. !

    Also and in combination with the marble i make a lot of use of my Spaceball-5000 and not only in 3d designing, most apps support at least the scroll and zoomfunction
  • It's actually a trackball. I've been using their various incarnations for almost 10 years now, and can heartily recommend the latest one -- it's black, has a ring around the ball that acts as a scroll wheel, and is optical (the older mechanical ones needed cleaning every month or so).

    They are large, but extremely comfortable use (possibly because it's large). Cost is around $100, and worth every penny.

    I also use a little gel wrist cushion in front of it (it comes with a leatherette thing but it's not as g
  • I use this trackball at work and at home. I've been using it for over five years now and I just love them. Unfortunately they seem to be discontinued. What's the best replacement for them? I'd like to stay with a similar style trackball. I don't really want to go back to a mouse.

    Any ideas?

    • While this will make me sound like a shill for Kensington given that I was talking up their keyboard earlier today on a different thread, they have a trackball called the "Orbit" that's very similar to Logitech's Marble Mouse. It's not quite the same thing as the TrackMan, but it's worth looking at -- I bought one as a replacement for a Marble Mouse (which I've always liked) and have found it slightly superior to Logitech's. It does have the potential drawback that it only has two buttons, though. (Windows

      • Looking at these mice remind me of an old trackball ad for (I think) Logitech. It had two trackballs side by side with hands on top of them. One of the trackballs looked like that and had a green alien hand which had four fingers and was symmetric. The other was a TrackMan with a regular human hand.

        Looks like the Cordless Optical TrackMan is more my style. I'll have to try one out at a local computer store.
  • Been there with the pain. It used to take all weekend for the actual pain to subside from a work week at the keyboard. My wrist's would start acting up after about an hour at work.

    My solution:
    A Kinesis keyboard and ratpoison (the wm).

    After about a month my wrists improved, I added a contour (perfit) mouse (got 2 a hamfest for $1.)

  • I'm sick of mice that don't fit my hands
    250 mm finger tip to base of palm

    most mice feel to small

    I had a Kingston mouce that was big , but my fingers were made sore by button use.

    can't remember it's model ....
  • I had the same problem as you -- I must have gone through 6 different mice before I gave up. I finally made the connection that the only place that I didn't have wrist pain was on my laptop, where I had a trackpoint instead of a mouse. I did a search and found an external keyboard with a built-in trackpoint [epinions.com] and haven't used anything else since. You can pick them up for ~$50 on Google.

    Not only has my wrist pain gone away, but my coworkers find my lack of a mouse so frustrating that they stay the hell awa
  • 1- as someone else has mentioned, using a mouse with your "off" hand actually seems to help alot for a variety of reasons. A few people at my workplace use lefthanded mice and swear by them.

    2- Just like ergonomic keyboards, having your palms facing inward is best. Most mice [even the newer logitechs] are flat. Not good for the wrists.

    3- Big mice are better. They keep you from closing your palm, causing stress there, and generally from resting your wrist on the table, causing stress as you move left and ri
  • Trackball -- yes.
    Try this on for size. Buy two (yes expensive) Turbo Pro's -- Wireless variety. Set them both for the same channel. It has 4 main buttons and a wheel that does dual duty as a middle mouse button. I set lower right button for select and drag, and lower left for double click, upper left and right as normal. It has 6 programmable buttons for anything you want.

    The secret is the wireless option. Since both mice are on the same channel, you can switch hands to whichever is more convenient -
  • 2-1/2 inch heavy trackball. Buttons that don't click, they "thwack". The older models look like something from NORAD, but the newer ones...well, look like something from NORAD. Usually sold by companies that sell equipment for people with disabilities and the Armed Forces. With a standard mouse or trackball, you keep too many muscles rigid and tense to be precise. With a P+G, you just move the massive trackball. Remember Missile Command? Imagine it on your desk...oh, and around $300-$400 USD each. I
  • Well, I found that the GoldTouch mouse [goldtouch.com] was quite good at relieving stress. It takes a little getting used to, because it's meant to nestle further back in the palm of your hand. If you use it that way it's great, but for a while the tendency is to let it slip back up front and grasp it with your fingertips like a normal mouse, and it sucks when used that way.

    Beware of weight. I once tried a mouse that was in a very good-fitting ergonomic shape and even came in multiple sizes. It fit perfectly into my relax

  • Gel! (Score:2, Interesting)

    by benson hedges ( 595198 )
    I'm coding for a living, meaning I often sit 12-16 hours a day in front of the computer. I tried half a dozen mice for comfort and ease of use, because my right wrist started to hurt like hell. and then I found the solution - a 10 euro mousepad with a gel pad. you rest your wrist on it while using the mouse. within days, my wrist pain was gone. sure, it somehow hinders your movement, meaning I now suck at unreal tournament, but that's a small price to pay.

    I guess you should be able to pick up a gel mouse

  • Ergonomic?! (Score:2, Insightful)

    by longbottle ( 537395 )
    Hell, I'd settle for one that's not friggin' tiny. I have big hands, and it seems to me that mice just get smaller and smaller as the years go by... I wish there was an equivalent to the IBM model M for pointing devices...

    *sigh*
  • You might want to try one of these Quill Mice [quillmouse.com], theyre expensive as all get out, but they have a nice feel - when you click you can really feel it in different muscles than normal. I tried one out and thought the position was pretty comfortable.

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