[benos]

Detlef,
I remember you posting in a thread somewhere concerning an "ergonomic problem" with a mouse. You said once you got that straightened out, the wrist pain was a history lesson. Well, ever since I had the bright idea to use a trackball and junk my mouse, which was implanted by a "user" that said I needed to use one in order to save my wrists - thanks a lot, my right wrist/forearm area is painful. It's getting worse. i first noticed the pain quite awhile before I had sense enough to switch back to mr mouse. Now it seems too late. FWIW, Ergonomically, because my arms are so long, I set up fairly high in my seat, so the mouse ends up only 2 or 3 inches above the top of my legs. Rolling my arm counterclockwise hurts more than clockwise. Actually, when my hand is rolled to clockwise to until my thumb is point straight up, it doesn't hurt at all. If I could type like I was holding an accordion I'd be all set. Looking back, I noticed the pain seemed to be the result of resting the base of my hand (at the wrist) on the edge of the trackball in order to spin it around. The pain seems to feel like it is mostly in my forearm, straight down from my little finger. It goes about halfway up to my elbow. When I'm typing, if I straighten my wrists out like would be the position on one of those silly looking ergonomic keyboards, it feels pretty good. Ever use one of those? For extended typing and mousing - my life - do you rest the any part of your hands/wrists on the keyboard of the mouse, or the table under the mouse? Whadagot for me? :)
I know this is probably more than you needed to hear, but you know, I'd hate to be a forum "confuser."
be

[Nik Habicht]

Brian,
I work behind a computer three days a week and I'm an internet junkie.  I've managed to avoid Carpal Tunnel Syndrome so far by adjusting my workstation in such a manner as to keep my wrists and hands as close to straight as possible.  This has always felt like the most natural position for me; however it also means that my arm is usually extended and reaching for the mouse on the computer table.  A colleague of mine can only work the mouse without pain if he puts a paperback dictionary under his wrist.  Does your pain go away if you're off the computer or is it constant/24/7?

[DBChaffin]

Brian,  I have one (ok two, one at home and one at work) of the silly ergonomic keyboards and like it.  Takes a little bit to get used to but grows on you quickly and keeps your wrists pretty straight.  I like a higher mouse position but I don't know if that would help you or not.

[benos]

Thanks guys, those seem to be the things helping me also. I think one of my problems is that I too tall for your basic desk. I can't seem to get everyting adjusted so everything is at the right angles.
be

[Shooter Grrl]

Ahhh - finally something I'm an expert at :-)

Brian, every one of my computers has an ergonomic keyboard.  The last one I bought was at officedepot.com for $49.95!  (The first one was $129.95)It's well worth the money no matter what price you get it at!!!!!

Second, track balls are the way to go, but the trick is to NOT rest your hand at all, you're supposed to use the whole arm and hand to roll that sucker, not just your fingers - same thing with a mouse!  If you can find a way to rest your elbows, then you'll decrease the pain.

[Bill Schwab]

What timing Brian!!  During the past week I started feeling pain in my strong hand wrist and have been very concerned.  I'm at a computer 50+ hours a week.  To help alleviate the pain I've started using my <gasp> left hand for my mousing...thanks for the advice ShooterGrrl, sounds like that may be my probelm.
Bill  

[benos]

I've rearranged my entire work station - put the arm rests back on the chair,... I'm feelin much flatter and ergo ready!
thanks,
be

[Detlef]

the problem arose when I got an *additional* computer in my office that was set up simply on the next available table. Yes, I did rest my wrist on the edge of that table, and that was probably the leading cause of the subsequent pain (still not gone...). No, since i always thought the ergonomic keyboards look ridiculous I've never tried one. Maybe I should reconsider. In the name of *ergonomics* my employer spends money freely, and I'm sure it's not out of good samaritanship. My solution at the time was to get a combined monitor and keyboard/mouse switch so that now one keyboard/mouse and one monitor serve two computers. In fact in can serve up to four computers (hey what's that? A third machine in my office???)...

--D.

[Nik Habicht]

I've thought of one more: Learn and use as many keyboard shortcuts as you can; basically try to only use the mouse for things that you really need the mouse for.  Also if you can get one of the wheel mice with four buttons you can reprogram those buttons to do a variety of jobs for you.  (of course that assumes you're using a PC; I don't know if they make four button mice for the Mac's yet.)  In addition to the left click and right click buttons on my mouse I have another button on the left side of the mouse that is programmed to take me back to the previous web page, it's counter part on the right is programmed to refresh the page.  Yes, I did that to make it easier to surf BE.com.....

[benos]

Detlef,
the resting of the wrist is the problem, I think. That's when it all started. I totally redid my whole setup, I'm feelin good already.

Nik,
I'm into keyboard shortcuts as well. Actually, I'd call myself probably a m or gm on shortcuts. I even have a program that allows me to assign keyboard shortcuts my just typing them into any menu selection. On the mac, you can then make alias of ANYTHING you want to open with a keyboard shortcut, and then drop them into a folder in your apple menu. Once you have a file or app in your menu then you also have a keyboard shortcut. Pretty cool. I just put them all into a folder that I'll never see, unless I forget my shortcut. And I'm a big fan of the programable mouse as well. My right click closes a window, clicking the scroll wheel quits a program, and the side button simulates the return or enter commands. And, that's not all - I even have a nifty shareware app that lets you assign different functions to keys that you don't use that often. For example, I never  use the escape button in the upper left hand corner - so it is now a delete or backspace button. Really cool stuff. And, on a mac in IE (maybe in windows too), the backspace key simulates the back button. that's one I couldn't live without.
I think one of the big problems is when I'm working all day building web pages because GoLive is not very keystroke friendly. Basically you are dragging and dropping all the time. big loser.
thanks -
be

[Flexmoney]

Trust your body to tell you how to "get to the computing".  :)

Seriously, don't leave anything hanging.  Prop thos forearms up.

[benos]

Trust! Rightyeo! Pay attention, again! :)
be

[NoTenX]

there is both a wrist carpal tunnel and an elbow syndrome. I just spent the last 6 month getting the wrist surgery and now splint the elbows. My pinch strength on the left and right thumbs does allow me to pinch the slides on any of the centerfire pistols and only the ruger mk II, I can press the cylinder release on the rugers,pull the release only on a colt trooper mkIII and not effected too much on the single actions but the keyboarding on the job that pays for all the toys suffers the most. I had all the keyboard and mouse cushions but hopefully this program may save my handgunshootin future. It is called dragon naturally speaking ver 9 prefurred. a voice recognition program about 99% accurate at $200 dollars.take this problem very seriously because it is no fun tring to get back to shooting. there is no guarantee that the damage is not pernament.

[FranDoc]

Having used both a mouse and a Kensignton trackball (one home, one office) the trackball is FAR preferred. I have a gel pad right at the edge of the trackball to rest the wrist and keep the hand otherwise stable/stationary, only the fingers move. I can work like that for hours.

Frequent movement of the rest of your upper body helps. Don't 'lock down' into one position and 'freeze' there.

Ergonomic keyboards are a matter of personal preference. If they help, use them. Depends upon your workstation set-up.

There are a variety of nerve syndromes that can come from computer use -- 'carpal tunnel' is compression of the median nerve as it passes through a small space on the volar (palmar) side of your wrist. It's possible to irritate both the radial & ulnar nerves as they pass around the corners of your elbow. This will give pain/numbness/tingling in your fingers or the back of your hand. Muscle tension in the neck or poor posture can irritate ANY of the nerves in the brachial plexus that lead to your arm/forearm/hand, provoking any number of symptoms.

Fix: get your shoulder/elbow/wrist position as neutral as possible. Sit up straight, your grandmother and Sunday School teacher were right; use a lumbar roll. Change positions frequently (get off the computer and go shoot :-)!) See your friendly local McKenzie-trained physical therapist if all the home fixes don't resolve the symptoms.

[BritinUSA]

Interesting stuff here from the folks at OSHA ---> Ergonomics

[SA Friday]

This may help too. Change your settings for your pointer so it's faster. You then only have to move the mouse an inch or so to cover the whole screen. It takes a a day or so to get used to, but it drastically cuts down on arm movement.

[Houngan]

I'm a computer jockey professionally, and after 11 years, I've had my share of ergo problems. My right wrist (mousing wrist) developed a huge bump where I would rest it on the desk.

My advice: sit in a corner. Nothing has made as much a difference as having my monitor at the inside corner of my cube. This allows my full forearms to rest on the surface, and has fixed my wrist problems. The keyboard never bothered me, it was the grinding motion of moving the mouse on my wrist that did the most damage.

Also, you need to take a break to heal. Repetitive motion injuries are just that, and need the opposite to be fixed, namely non-repetitive motion. Put the mouse on the other side for a week or two, or better yet stop using a computer for a while, as much as is possible. You've likely developed inflammation of your tendons, and they need a complete break to deal with it.

H.

[11.43mm]

I am in favor of the rest an care of this "injury" after rest with the R.I.C.E method; the strengthening can begin. I used an old squash/baseball trick of rolling a weight up and down a length of string or webbing attached to the center of a stick.