Ergonomy help needed

[Greycap]

Having suffered from hand and arm issues for a while I went to see a doctor last week. The end result was pretty depressing: shoulder impingement syndrome on both shoulders, tennis elbow on both elbows (worse on the right side, no surprise since I'm right handed) and carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms on both wrists. No doubt a decade of office work has left its mark so it's pretty clear that something has to be done.

But where do I start? The first step was to get a mouse pad with a wrist support but it doesn't seem to be quite cutting it, I have a feeling that I should ditch the entire mouse for something more suitable. Perhaps a dedicated touchpad, or a trackball, or something else? Something that could be positioned to where I want it and not where it has enough room, and especially something that wouldn't require large arm movements.

I've tried a RollerMouse and absolutely hated it, as well as a "vertical mouse" which made my wrist hurt even when it was still OK and it still wouldn't resolve the arm movement problem. Any good ideas other than a month of sick leave and a change of profession?

 

[vasiliflame]

Having suffered from hand and arm issues for a while I went to see a doctor last week. The end result was pretty depressing: shoulder impingement syndrome on both shoulders, tennis elbow on both elbows (worse on the right side, no surprise since I'm right handed) and carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms on both wrists. No doubt a decade of office work has left its mark so it's pretty clear that something has to be done.

But where do I start? The first step was to get a mouse pad with a wrist support but it doesn't seem to be quite cutting it, I have a feeling that I should ditch the entire mouse for something more suitable. Perhaps a dedicated touchpad, or a trackball, or something else? Something that could be positioned to where I want it and not where it has enough room, and especially something that wouldn't require large arm movements.

I've tried a RollerMouse and absolutely hated it, as well as a "vertical mouse" which made my wrist hurt even when it was still OK and it still wouldn't resolve the arm movement problem. Any good ideas other than a month of sick leave and a change of profession?

Would you consider a playstation 3 pad instead of a mouse? Or a Xbox controller? I know you can use a program called Xpadder for mouse movements and have tested it with my son who has cerebral palsy and his limitations are probably 100 times more limited than yours and now he flys through the windows system.. You will still have to use the keyboard for typing at speed or you could use the virtual keyboard like games consoles and be a bit slower but can do everything off the game pad


Feel free to pm me anytime if you do give it a try and get stuck

 

[ImmalovemaGTR]

Having suffered from hand and arm issues for a while I went to see a doctor last week. The end result was pretty depressing: shoulder impingement syndrome on both shoulders, tennis elbow on both elbows (worse on the right side, no surprise since I'm right handed) and carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms on both wrists. No doubt a decade of office work has left its mark so it's pretty clear that something has to be done.

But where do I start? The first step was to get a mouse pad with a wrist support but it doesn't seem to be quite cutting it, I have a feeling that I should ditch the entire mouse for something more suitable. Perhaps a dedicated touchpad, or a trackball, or something else? Something that could be positioned to where I want it and not where it has enough room, and especially something that wouldn't require large arm movements.

I've tried a RollerMouse and absolutely hated it, as well as a "vertical mouse" which made my wrist hurt even when it was still OK and it still wouldn't resolve the arm movement problem. Any good ideas other than a month of sick leave and a change of profession?

You could try some wrist-rest for the whole length of the keyboard. Also consider using one of these big balls for sitting instead of a normal chair.

One other thing I could recommend is doing a break every one or two hours for a few minutes and do some excercises like streching your back and training your arms a little bit.

I hope this helps

 

[Greycap]

Would you consider a playstation 3 pad instead of a mouse?

No, mainly because it wouldn't really be an option at work where I need one hand on the keyboard just about all the time. I can believe that it would be a viable solution if continuous text input wasn't needed but in this case it would cause too much hassle.

You could try some wrist-rest for the whole length of the keyboard. Also consider using one of these big balls for sitting instead of a normal chair.

One other thing I could recommend is doing a break every one or two hours for a few minutes and do some excercises like streching your back and training your arms a little bit.

The wrist rest is probably worth trying, the chair not so much as I don't have any problems with my back. We have three breaks in an eight hour day and my job fortunately doesn't necessitate sitting all the time, pretty much the opposite as I'm the unofficial jack of all trades at the office but still the time in front of the screen seems to be too much - or perhaps not the time but indeed the working position with every limb in a different position that where they probably should be, especially my right arm and hand.

 

[vasiliflame]

No, mainly because it wouldn't really be an option at work where I need one hand on the keyboard just about all the time. I can believe that it would be a viable solution if continuous text input wasn't needed but in this case it would cause too much hassle.



The wrist rest is probably worth trying, the chair not so much as I don't have any problems with my back. We have three breaks in an eight hour day and my job fortunately doesn't necessitate sitting all the time, pretty much the opposite as I'm the unofficial jack of all trades at the office but still the time in front of the screen seems to be too much - or perhaps not the time but indeed the working position with every limb in a different position that where they probably should be, especially my right arm and hand.

If its for just the curser the analogue would be a perfect solution you would only need one hand to use the pad using r1 and r2 buttons and analogue... If mouse dutys are the issue.


Sounds life a parts advisor roll

 

[Danoff]

Cheap, and if you keep your feet on it, it will improve your posture which will force your hands into better positions and reduce the strain on your wrist. Next is the chair. Technically a wrist rest is a cop-out (I'm typing with my wrists on one right now so I'm a hypocrite). You're not supposed to allow your wrists to rest on anything. Proper ergonomics says they float. Your elbows can be on the arm rests if they adjust to the correct position (not just height).

This is mostly right except for the wrist portion:

 

[Omnis]

And the high heels are included, too.

 

[Robin]

I would say get a trackball mouse so you don't have to move your wrist but I think the OP said it didn't work well.

You could try a finger mouse like this,

Also these chairs and the gym ball's you sit on (mentioned earlier) are good for keeping your posture correct.

 

[Greycap]

This is mostly right except for the wrist portion:

Looking at that and thinking about things a bit it seems that I've got it pretty much right at home with the possible exception of screen height but at work I'll need either the footrest or a lower desk. I'm not sure if my desk is adjustable, I'll have to take a look at it.

I would say get a trackball mouse so you don't have to move your wrist but I think the OP said it didn't work well.

No, I haven't tried a trackball but it's option #1 on my list at the moment, mostly because it really could work but also because I've wanted one for a while and now I have a reason to get it. Perhaps even for free if I can convince my boss that I need one. What I have tried is a RollerMouse - some people like them, I hated it - and a vertical mouse which indeed caused noticable discomfort even in a healthy wrist.

 

[Robin]

No, I haven't tried a trackball but it's option #1 on my list at the moment, mostly because it really could work but also because I've wanted one for a while and now I have a reason to get it. Perhaps even for free if I can convince my boss that I need one. What I have tried is a RollerMouse - some people like them, I hated it - and a vertical mouse which indeed caused noticable discomfort even in a healthy wrist.

Oh I see what you mean, in that case definitely give things like these a go...

 

[Jubby]

Do you have a Human Resources department in your company or are you freelance/independently contracted? In some ways, if you have a medical condition or ergonomic needs, most companies can (may be required to depending on laws/regulations) assist you with your needs. Not sure about Finland, but the US has an act (Americans with Disabilities Act- ADA) that requires an employer to make reasonable accommodations and usually the HR person hired will be aware of this and trained to help with ergonomics.

 

[Imari]

What about using a tablet as your mouse input? I occasionally use mine as such when I'm doing Photoshop work and I can't be bothered reaching over to get the mouse. It seems to work fine once you get used to it, and picking up the pen isn't much more difficult or time consuming that going for a mouse in the same position anyway.

Tablets can be had fairly cheap these days, you can get a decent one for well under $100. It might be another option to consider, if a writing position is still comfortable for you.

 

[LeMansAid]

@Greycap I have an additional suggestion: seek treatment. I feel that there's a good chance that all of your ailments stem from your neck. A friend of mine had carpal tunnel and saw some crazy lady about it. Crazy lady manipulated a particular line from the neck down to the wrist, causing hot flushes, cold flushes, nausea, and pain along the way. The day after he felt terrible, the day after that he was almost perfect.

If you can't find an equivalent Finnish crazy lady, acupuncture could hold some hope as well.

 

[Greycap]

Our company is so small that law doesn't even require occupational health care, my only chance is to talk directly to the boss. Which I'll do as soon as he returns from his summer vacation - and nobody knows when that happens.

I've now considered a trackball as well as a touchpad, the touchpad being essentially the same as a tablet what comes to the operating principle. I don't know which one would be the better choice, then again buying both would still be considerably cheaper than even one week of sick leave for me and one week is barely the beginning. And if there's one thing my boss understands it's money.

And it's entirely possible that my neck plays a large role in this as I've had trouble with it for years, as have my mother and grandfather. Then again I certainly wouldn't count wrists and elbows out of the equation as I bike a lot and the vibration is likely to have done its part too. The right hand is worse, occasionally a couple of fingers go slightly numb and then return back to normal after a random arm movement which causes a very audible *pop* from one of the mentioned joints so it seems that either a nerve or a blood vessel gets trapped. Even a good massage might work wonders.