I need some advice on alternatives to the standard mouse when using my computer. A little background. I have been having arm and shoulder pain for a couple of years and about 5 weeks ago ended up getting surgery on my shoulder to remove a bone spur and fix the tendons, bursa and cartilage which were getting torn up by the bone spur. I determined that the my shoulder becomes most irritated while doing computer work, especially using the mouse. The repetative stress was contributing to the problem. I tried a “pen mouse” as an alternative, but did not experience any change in my levels of pain or ability to use it for longer periods.
So, what I am trying to figure out, is what I can use which would reduce the amount of stress on my shoulder joint. I have noticed that when I use my netbook, that the touchpad is less of a problem for my shoulder. However, I have big fingers and a lot of problems using touchpads and continuously click when I don’t intend to, so from a usability standpoint, it is not so good. (I also can’t type on Itouch for similar reasons and would never get a device which depends only on finger touch to use.)
Any experiences anyone has had using trackballs or other devices? How easy are they to get used to? Are you able to do precision work with them? (Note: I sometimes do CAD work so precision is important.) Any anecdotes which would be of use? Pile it on!
What about an armrest? There are a variety of ergonomic arm and elbow supports to relieve stress on the joints when using a standard mouse. Some of them clamp to an office chair with a built-in mouse area, and some clamp to the desk right next to the mouse. A few even pivot to allow more range of movement. Run a search for “mouse armrest” and you’ll see lots of options. There are numerous sites specializing in ergonomic computer accessories.
When I first got a computer as a kid, the only place the mouse would reach was the left-hand side of the computer. So I just…used the mouse on the left side even though I am right handed and so are all my family members.
It may have been easy for me at the time because it was my first time using a mouse…but I bet you can get it.
Never thought of that! I’ll have to check into that one.
I have been doing that – I switch back and forth – but I have trouble getting the same precision with my left hand as my right. I am pretty strongly right-handed. So, I can surf the web lefty, but not really do much precision work.
How hard was it to get used to a trackball? What kind did you use?
I’ve used a trackball mouse like this one for years. (Mine didn’t cost anywhere near $250 though, maybe the high asking price is because this model is no longer produced?) I switched because of tendonitis in my wrist. I found it pretty easy to get used to. The buttons are the same as for a conventional mouse, you’re just moving the cursor with your thumb instead of your wrist. Since the mouse and arm don’t need room to move around it may also give you a bit more freedom in how you position things.
As for precious, I would guess that using your thumb instead of your wrist would if anything allow for greater precision of movement, but I admit I don’t really know. I can say that I touch up my pictures in Photoshop with no trouble using this mouse.
Not hard at all, took a week or two to get used to it. I find it clumsy when I have to use a regular mouse on someone else’s computer now that I’m used to the much smaller motion used with a trackball. I’ve been using a Logitech Marble Mouse for 5 years, but I’m not sure they make them any more. My palm rests on the mouse and I use my index or middle finger to roll the ball around and my thumb and ring finger to click the buttons.
While I’ve never used trackballs much, I’ve actually heard a lot of people who do pixel-level photo editing, CAD work and et cetera say that a trackball is the “ultimate” peripheral in terms of precision.
So, trackball so far seems to be the consensus answer. I have rarely used one, so I have never been very comfortable with them on the rare occasion someone had one. I did see some advice on another site saying if you spend a long time at the computer, to have 2 different input devices like a regular mouse and a touch pad or a trackball. So I suppose I can leave my wireless mouse hooked up and then try a trackball as I always have the option to switch if I really need to.
I guess I have to go down to the store and try a couple of different styles to see what feels comfortable.
I can’t tell you how much I love it! It has a tiny little receiver that will take up one of your usb ports, but won’t obstruct anything. Since it’s wireless you can put it in any position. I bought mine for different reasons, but it was so easy to get used to. The trackball is operated with your thumb, it has forward and back buttons, and then your index and middle fingers rest where you’re used to on the regular click buttons. The trackball is far more responsive than I expected, and since the pickup for it is a laser, it just pops out for cleaning. I use the mouse and keyboard from the couch, so frequently find myself resting the mouse somewhere on my person where my arm can be at rest.
OH - just noticed you already have a wireless mouse, too. What you can do is get a stiff mouse pad - that’s what I used before I got the trackball. I just rested the plastic mouse pad wherever, on a knee, on my chest while laying down, on a pillow, arm of the couch, wherever, and the mouse worked fine on it.
Aren’t they a bit pricey? Though, if effective, it might be worth it. Are there any other advantages to a stylus and tablet? I usually see designer types using them so I guess there is something for that profession. I do programming, some CAD work, general word processing, surfing the web, etc.
I do a lot of work in the likes of Illustrator, so I’m used to the tablet for drawing, and I ended up getting so accustomed to it that I configured the buttons on the stylus to simulate mouse clicks. Tablets start at around a hundred dollars and go up, depending on size. The tablet driver maps the screen to the tablet’s drawing surface, so that the onscreen cursor or pointer can be moved over the whole screen as you move the tip of the stylus. Tap the point of the stylus on the tablet, or press the buttons on the side of the pen, to get mouse clicks.
It uses a different set of muscles than a mouse. I recommend going to a graphic-design-oriented store and trying one out
I have myofascitis which causes a lot of muscle pain and cramping blah blah blah…I ADORE my trackball. I also second or third getting an armrest or “propping” your arms into a comfy position.
Trackballs aren’t hard to find at all, Best Buy has them, and I’m sure other computer places do as well.
I use a logitech trackman wheel trackball and love it. I almost never move my arm and shoulder from the one position, it lives nicely next to my laptop or my desktop keyboard. Being handicapped, sometimes I go for a fair amount of time stuck in bed and will use my laptop on a hospital table while in bed, and the trackman works wonderfully as it doesn’t need lots of room to roll around.
As to precision, it is wonderful. The thumb controls the movement, and the first 2 fingers do the clicky bit, and I can be very precise. I detest touchpads as they are imprecise and you have to be a fucking contortionist to hold down scroll and clicky anything. Think of my style trackman as a mouse that the thumb controls the little mouse ball on the bottom, and the fingers continue to control the clicky and hold and clicky.
I was thinking the thumb style might be better. I can’t see the ball in the center being very comfortable. Ok, I definitely have to go give a test run on some of these tomorrow!
I’ve tried it and the main issue is having to pick up the stylus every time you want to “mouse around”. I’ve also tried track balls and for some people they work very well, but I can’t get used to the things.
Personally, I’d try a touch pad or a keyboard/touchpad combi. You’ll have to search for those, though; the only readily available one I can think of is the Apple Magic Trackpad which only works with OS-X 10.6.
Or maybe you’d like one of the IBM/Lenovo keyboards with a track point (nipple). Or the Unicomp variant.
I use a trackball. A Kensington Orbit with scroll wheel. Switching to a trackball cured my twinges straight off. Note that unlike the Logitech trackball mentioned earlier the Kensington is ambidexterous and has the ball on top.
I’ve also used a tablet and pen, but that doesn’t work so well with multiple monitors.