Please help me to save my fingers!

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Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/8/2010 9:17:29 PM

Northern Star
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Hi guys,
I work long hours with the computer and to use a mouse for a very long time causes pain to fingers and wrists. One of my colleagues will need to stay away from work for 6 weeks because she has to recover from a surgical operation to her wrist (the operation will last only 10 minutes, the rest of the time will be spent to rest and to make exercise to recover).
I read somewhere that to use the trackball instead of the mouse is much more healthy because fingers and wrists do not suffer stress. Anyone used it? Is it comfortable?
Do you use an ergonomic mousepad? Does it work well?
Thanks very much.

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/8/2010 11:04:51 PM

DampSquib
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From: UK
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I use a Logitech Marble Mouse....http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=logitech+marble+mouse&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=4704009039&ref=pd_sl_2yubg7mx5c_e
It does work well..it looks cheap but is fairly solid.
My keyboard is a Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000...Mouse is a Microsoft Laser 5000.
I change back to the mouse for games...Just got used to using a normal mouse for games.
Buy a good wrist rest...i use a gel one. Good luck to you & your colleague.

< Message edited by DampSquib -- 4/8/2010 11:05:26 PM >

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/9/2010 12:40:25 AM

Lützow
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Northern Star

I read somewhere that to use the trackball instead of the mouse is much more healthy because fingers and wrists do not suffer stress. Anyone used it? Is it comfortable?
Do you use an ergonomic mousepad? Does it work well?
Thanks very much.

No trackball, but trackpad - where you can gilde over with a finger and tap instead of klicking. Myself I prefer a Razer gaming mouse for working. It's high resolution and speed means precise taregeting and short ways on the pad.

(in reply to Northern Star)

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/9/2010 7:25:13 AM

E
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quote:

ORIGINAL: DampSquib

Buy a good wrist rest...i use a gel one.

And get one for your keyboard as well as the mouse. Not to mention, constant finger/wrist exercises in between typing and mousing will help as well.

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/9/2010 8:48:06 AM

Southernland
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When i was editing full time i used to use the mouse on my thigh rather than the mouse pad. That way my wrist wasn't always locked at the same angle. Worked well for me

A friends uses a tablet and swears by it

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/9/2010 10:07:21 AM

Zakhal
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Ive used natural ergonomic micrsoft keyboards and ergonomic mouses for decade or more now and never had wrist pains after the 90s.

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/9/2010 2:29:32 PM

06 Maestro
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For comfort and ease of use, nothing beats the tackball. I have used one for well over 5 years. My old version is lacking zooming capability in games and so on which is why I do not use it all the time. If I had one that had the funtionality of a wheel mouse, I would use it all the time-no doubt about it.

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/9/2010 3:46:25 PM

Zakhal
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The way you use the mouse might be a factor too. Som move it with palm and others just with fingers.

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/9/2010 7:12:03 PM

SeaMonkey
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Use different types of mice. Use the keyboard for some functions. Use you lefthand or offhand, this is easiest on a touchpad configuration like for a laptop. Summary, use different ergonomics, vary your motions.

Oh yeah..one more thing, you'll need to incorporate an exercise regimen, at least every other day, work the arms, especially fore arms, wrists, and don't neglect the shoulders also.

< Message edited by SeaMonkey -- 4/9/2010 7:22:29 PM >

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/9/2010 8:15:55 PM

Capt. Harlock
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One other thing that I've found to help is to alternate the mouse hand. It's been surprisingly easy to get used to using the left hand instead of the right for me.

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/9/2010 9:05:36 PM

jackx
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I use the same approach as Lützow, high DPI for work to cut down on movement... what matters most though is a properly set-up workplace. You need to sit comfortably and relaxed, and you need the mouse and keyboard at the appropriate height, and with support for your wrists.
Since that might be hard to arrange at a workplace, a pad might be a good alternative, though personally I can't stand them...

(Last time I had pc-related wrist/finger problems was a good 10 years ago, after some massive Diablo sessions, these days, I hurt my wrists and fingers playing the guitar...)

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/9/2010 10:24:10 PM

Northern Star
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Thanks very much guys!
I followed your advice and checked what else I could do for my health at work. I often use the mouse with both hands and I keep something under the wrist to relax it (usually an old copy of the yellow pages, luckily in my city they're not a very high book). Some of my colleagues feel something similar to what happens to me, so I'm planning to get rid of my mouse and to buy a good trackball or a pad.
So far I've found online 2 trackballs made by Kensington, Slimblade and Expert mouse. I'm doing my best to find a retailer in my city (I live in Italy) but I think I have to order it online.
Unfortunately I found no pads! Are there pads sold separately, like an alternative for the mouse? Who sells them?

Here are the 2 trackballs I found (I post the link in the US site), do you think they're good? What's the best choice for you?

http://us.kensington.com/html/1436.html

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/9/2010 11:36:32 PM

GoodGuy
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Actually, I think you'll even have more pain after a while, as - with a trackball - you'll then either use the index finger or the middle finger excessively, while rarely moving your hand. I had to dump mine (problem with sinews in my hand), and got a logitech MX 518 laser mouse (which has 5 additional customizable buttons) instead (good for surfing or using office apps, not just for gaming :p).

The Logitech has a round shape though, which may put some stress on your wrist.

In turn, some trackballs are really good, but some are either too slow (means you have to move the ball quite a bit to get the mouse pointer where you want) or too fast (so that it gets really hard to handle the sucker), you won't get to a decent setting with some of them (because some have a really low resolution [low dpi]). I'd actually check them live in a store, to see if they are ok.

You might not have to switch to a trackball, putting say 2 (!) telephone books under your mouse and forearm (harda explain, so that your forearm, elbow and the mouse are on the same level and a thin wrist pad, or with the mouse even higher - for a change) might do it already. Most people use to operate a mouse (at work) with their elbows being on a higher level than the mouse. That kills the wrist, imho.

I'd also recommend a really flat mouse, one that has a planar end/middle part, and where the front (mouse buttons) has a slope. Convex/curbed mice add to the stress on the wrist, in my experience, as hand and wrist can never relax. The thinner the mouse the better. Well, that's my theory.

The Razer Boomslang is pretty flat, for example.

Another idea might be to get a mouse with removable weights (like the G-series from Logitech), where you can change the weight of the mouse to your liking. Helps a lot. I had that mouse before. Cons: the round shape.

If you wanna ruin your sinews (!), get a trackball.

(But again, that's just my theory, go check it out in a store)

< Message edited by GoodGuy -- 4/10/2010 11:32:57 AM >

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/10/2010 10:21:19 PM

DampSquib
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From: UK
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I have tried the Slimblade & yes it's comfortable...but being a cheap sod i went with the
logitech.
If you pick the right Keyboard,mouse etc...you will be just as comfortable as with a
trackball. As GoodGuy said the trackball could exsacebate matters.
But if you still go down that road then yes the Slimblade is comfortable..only got to try it
for a while in a local shop,never tried the others.Anyway what is right for me may not be right for you...different hand sizes etc. You need to try this stuff give it a squeeze... That's alot of money to drop on a trackball & then find out you dont like it...if you buy one check the online seller's return policy. Hope you find somethig local...i had to ring around until i found a shop with one. Sorry i carn't be of more help.

< Message edited by DampSquib -- 4/11/2010 1:40:33 AM >

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RE: Please help me to save my fingers! - 4/11/2010 1:43:28 AM

bairdlander2
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maybe you should get a man's job like scaffolding or some kind of trade then you would not complain about your precsious fingers.

< Message edited by bairdlander -- 4/11/2010 1:44:03 AM >

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Post #: 15