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Possible Duplicates:
Recommended mouse alternatives for people with RSI from using computer too much?
What do you do about wrist pain?
Which trackball is better to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome?

I started getting carpal tunnel symptoms about a year back and have tried different mice/keyboards and nothing seems to help.

When my right wrist (i am right handed) started giving me pain, I switched from a regular optical mouse to this logitech mouse:

alt text

It helped for a short while. I then started to learn using my left hand to operate the mouse. Now, my left wrist has started experiencing the symptoms.

Which mouse do you recommend that has really helped you?

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The 3M ergo mouse is worth a look solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ergonomics/home/products/… – jball Mar 24 '10 at 18:55
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Also this one: superuser.com/questions/21608/…. SuperUsers obviously know a lot about RSI. – Gnoupi Mar 25 '10 at 16:56
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No device will help while you continue to ignore sound body positioning. – kmarsh Mar 25 '10 at 17:23

migrated from stackoverflow.com Mar 24 '10 at 22:14

marked as duplicate by Gnoupi, Ivo Flipse♦ Mar 25 '10 at 17:28

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

7 Answers

up vote 2 down vote

Do you workout regularly? I started to get some carpal tunnel symptoms after 16 years of computer usage. They came on quickly when I had stopped working out regularly, once I started working out again they went away.

YMMV, but I'd suggest hitting the gym 3 times a week, do strength training and cardio, and try to walk to lunch if you can. It really helped me out.

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if you're wondering, I use a magic mouse, feels nice. – jessecurry Mar 24 '10 at 18:48
Yes, I do work out regularly. Lately, I have been slacking off more though. How is the magic mouse different from a regular optical mouse when it comes to helping you with carpal tunnel/rsi? – Anonymous Mar 24 '10 at 18:55
Honestly, I don't know if it really helps; but it does feel good to use all day since I don't have to strain my fingers at all to hit a small mouse wheel when scrolling (the entire top surface is a trackpad). – jessecurry Mar 24 '10 at 20:12
up vote 1 down vote

I have several input devices that I switch between. A regular mouse (the worst), a thumb trackball like the one you pictured, a touchpad and a graphics tablet. They all hurt my wrists and hands in different ways so I try to switch when the pain starts.

The best answer is really to try to use the keyboard exclusively and make sure that your workspace is set up as ergonomically as possible.

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up vote 1 down vote

One mouse that has very different and may help you is Evoluent. It is quite different and I think worth trying out.

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up vote 1 down vote

Wrong question. You can abuse yourself while using any pointing device.

Stop resting your arm weight on your wrist when using the pointing device. Move the pointing device deeper on the desk, rest your forearms and float your wrist. Keep your forearm, wrist, and hand in a relatively straight line.

I've been doing this for 20 years and have zero problems with carpal. I do the same thing with the keyboard. If the desk is not deep enough, I have a keyboard tray installed, and keep it at a level just barely above where my elbows bend.

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up vote 0 down vote

Using one of the mouse pads with a gel wrist rest at one end has helped me.

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I have tried this but it hurts more than it helps – Anonymous Mar 24 '10 at 18:53
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Trackballs mostly move the strain elsewhere. Vertical mice use a muscle group that's not good for fine motor control. Trackpads aren't much better than mice and just work the wrist back and forth all day. Tablets with pens are great if you can afford a good one get the hang of them, but that's easier said than done. All-in-all, learning to take breaks, stretch, and properly elevate and straighten your wrists while mousing are gonna do you the best of all. alt text

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up vote 0 down vote

I like the Logitech G5 mice. Switching things up seems to work for wrist issues. One style of mouse at work and one at home.

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