# Had to switch to my left hand...and it sucks **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 29, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-to-switch-to-my-left-hand-and-it-sucks/645501 "2012-12-29T17:46:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-to-switch-to-my-left-hand-and-it-sucks/645501/21 "2013-01-01T16:40:33Z")
I’m headed to a hand surgeon later this month to see if I can get both my right and left hand fixed for “trigger finger”. The middle finger of my right (dominant) hand is now totally rigid, but began as trigger finger, so I don’t know if it can be fixed because it is now totally rigid, and all it is good for is flipping someone off. Now it’s the ring finger on my right (adjacent) hand, which also needs fixing. **Angelsoft** , don’t know if it helps, but you’re in my thoughts, okay? Quasi ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-to-switch-to-my-left-hand-and-it-sucks/645501/22 "2013-01-01T21:38:11Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > You know you are a dalek… > when your [left hand sucks](http://dyn3.media.forbiddenplanet.com/products/dalek.jpg.size-285_maxheight-285_square-true.jpg). That’s the right hand - just sayin’ ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-to-switch-to-my-left-hand-and-it-sucks/645501/23 "2013-01-02T14:50:00Z")
I switched the mouse to my left hand for a while. It took a little getting used to, but soon became habitual. Then I switched to a right-handed trackball and never looked back. Seriously- try a trackball. They’re hard to find, but worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-to-switch-to-my-left-hand-and-it-sucks/645501/24 "2013-01-02T17:10:48Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > So I use the computer a lot. A LOT. Like…to the point of being kinda sad, but right now it’s all I have so whatever. But within the last two weeks, my hands have been falling asleep when I’m in bed. Then it progressed to them being sore while I slept. It was bearable on my left hand but my right hand has gotten downright painful. Now it’s gotten to the point where my right hand hurts whenever I use it for the mouse on the computer. I’m pretty certain it’s carpal tunnel, given the pain radius (wrist, thumb and first two fingers) so I’ve been trying some exercises I found online. Of course, all of that doesn’t do a lick of good if I keep using it like I have been. So today I decided to switch the mouse to my left hand. > > And it bites. I am having such a hard time doing anything, it’s driving me crazy. Even though I switched the primary buttons to a left hand configuration, I’m constantly right clicking instead of left and vice versa. I keep accidentally closing tabs in the browser and dragging when I don’t mean to. I guess the solution would be to just stay off the computer for a day or two but…yeah lol realistically that’s not going to happen. Hopefully giving my right hand a break means I won’t have to go to the doctor about this. My mom has it as well and has been avoiding treatment for years because they told her the only solution was surgery. And that’s the last thing I want. My sympathies!! I’d tried to learn to mouse left-handed (I’m right-handed) when I developed pain in my right hand after a bout of long hours at the computer. No luck. The hand simply wouldn’t do what I wanted. I did finally manage it, though my trick might seem a bit extreme: I broke my right elbow ;). That _forced_ me to learn. Now I can mouse ambidextrously though it’s still easier with the right hand. You could also look into some external thing like maybe a graphic tablet where you’re holding a penlike thing. I have never tried this, but it might be an option. I’ve also tried track-balls and those are _horrible_, can’t understand why anyone would voluntarily use them. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-to-switch-to-my-left-hand-and-it-sucks/645501/25 "2013-01-02T17:23:57Z")
**Quasimodem** , that sounds like even less fun than my stuff! Good luck with getting it fixed though and thanks for the thoughts 🙂 And thanks to everyone else too… The pain’s actually subsided a bit. I’ve been taking it easier on my right hand and when I do use it for the mouse (because left handed mouse for gaming does NOT work for me), I’m making sure to change how I lay my wrist. Normally I have the mouse at the edge of the desk, so my wrist has no support and just hangs off the edge, but now I’m pushing the mouse in so I can rest it on the desk. Also, next trip to the store is gonna end with me buying one of those gel pads for your wrist. As for trackball/tablets, I actually do have a tablet that I use for art, but…well I’ve tried before to use it in place of the mouse and all it does is irritate me. Never tried a trackball though but if it’s anything like the trackpad on my laptop, it might not be a good fit for me. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-to-switch-to-my-left-hand-and-it-sucks/645501/26 "2013-01-02T18:47:12Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > As for trackball/tablets, I actually do have a tablet that I use for art, but…well I’ve tried before to use it in place of the mouse and all it does is irritate me. Never tried a trackball though but if it’s anything like the trackpad on my laptop, it might not be a good fit for me. For what it’s worth, my trackball at work is nothing like the trackpad on my laptop at home. The trackpad requires more hand movement, but with the trackball the only thing moving is my thumb, except for the minimal movement of my fingertips to click. Otherwise the whole hand is pretty stationary. My thumb movement doesn’t cause me the same problems I experienced with my wrist when I used a mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-to-switch-to-my-left-hand-and-it-sucks/645501/27 "2013-01-02T21:21:36Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > As for trackball/tablets, I actually do have a tablet that I use for art, but…well I’ve tried before to use it in place of the mouse and all it does is irritate me. Never tried a trackball though but if it’s anything like the trackpad on my laptop, it might not be a good fit for me. Trackballs are nothing like a trackpad. I’ve recommended two very different trackballs. They’re both cheap, so try both. I prefer the Kensington, but that’s primarily because I’m left-handed. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-to-switch-to-my-left-hand-and-it-sucks/645501/28 "2013-01-03T06:34:27Z")
After several years of right-handedness only I decided to try switching hands due to numbness issues. It was not all that aggravating for me, even at first, and within three weeks I was completely fluent left-handed, and the fluency has been permanent: I have switched back and forth a couple of times since. My brother went to the Dr. for similar numbness, and the Doc said it was now a failry common problem for mousehand neveres to be affected by the pressure of resting the arm on the table in nearly exactly the same position for long periods of time. It is not a serious medical event, and the numbess will go away within a few weeks of altering mouse hand posture, or changing hands. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/had-to-switch-to-my-left-hand-and-it-sucks/645501.md?page=1)