ergonomic mouse

[Red Mountain]

Hi people, is a trackball mouse really better than a regular mouse for someone with carpal tunnel syndrome?

[Bud]

When i had a problem witb my right wrist I learned to use the mouse with my left hand, as ergonomic mice seemed to be overly expensive or looked goofy. With time my right hand normalized and now I am handling the mouse with it again. As a net result i can now use the mouse with either hand.

[ataradov]

It may not solve the issue, but it does move the stress to other groups of muscles. So in a short term it may provide a relief, but if you use it a lot, it may not help 100%.

I've used Logitech Marble Trackball for years, and I find that from time to time I need to switch between having a riser under the wrist and not. Just switching that alone solves all my issues.

[GreyWoolfe]

I don't have carpal tunnel but I do have arthritis in my hands.  I use an Anker vertical mouse.  It took a bit to get used to it but I find it comfortable.  The warning however is that this is a large mouse.  I do have large hands.  I bought one for Mrs GreyWoolfe but it was too big so she gave it back to me.    There are other companies that make vertical or ergonomic mice but they carry a price tag.

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Ergonomic-Optical-Vertical-Buttons/dp/B00FPAVUHC/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia?keywords=anker+vertical+mouse&pd_rd_i=B00FPAVUHC&pd_rd_r=fd044154-cf29-4e96-9af7-1ada0d9fd33e&pd_rd_w=fq7TZ&pd_rd_wg=tkq9h&pf_rd_p=f0479f98-a32d-45cd-9c12-7aaced42b1ec&pf_rd_r=TYM61TGSZVPV3S30GYJ4&qid=1558558130&s=gateway

[nctnico]

Hi people, is a trackball mouse really better than a regular mouse for someone with carpal tunnel syndrome?

I don't think so. I never liked a trackball. Make sure you rest your entire under arm on the desk, set the mouse sensitive so you don't have to move it a lot and use a wrist brace to fixate the wrist. Meanwhile make sure to get the surgery asap.

[Electro Detective]

It's unbelievable that no one has thought up and or brought to market a foot operated mouse to assist people with various disabilities and or injuries 

as well as the option to free up a hand when typing 

There's a lot of silly gadgets occupying landfills that people needed a lot less   

I reckon I could knock up a working prototype in an afternoon, with just generic off the shelf or dumpster/nature strip freebie parts   

[ataradov]

It's unbelievable that no one has thought up and or brought to market a foot operated mouse to assist people with various disabilities and or injuries 

It is not as easy as it seems. Your feet don't have enough dexterity in a sitting position.

You can definitely make a pointing device, but it will not be nearly as convenient to use.

[Electro Detective]

It's not rocket science to do, especially with todays tech, nor does it have to be perfect,

just good enough to get the job done and cheap, and anything is better than nothing

A foot sensor mat on a small platform that can be angled, with a pair of pressure sensors attached to the big and smallest toe (right/left click) would be a start

or an old school up/down and or 45-0-45 degree swivel type foot pedal with switches and joystick pot etc

and chuck in some modded existing mouse software to fine tune the lot to each user requirements

I used to knock up  'look ma, no hands!'    multiple foot pedal thingies years ago with limited electronics experience,
they worked (probably still do) and were low voltage/no voltage safe

surely all these corporat tech 'teams' in laundered white coats with BS diplomas can do a LOT better than my tacky looking rat tailed back yard inventions   
and rake in the cash and take undeserved credit for these ideas   

 
EDIT: just as I thought, it has been sort of done already,
do an internet Search for 'Foot Operated Mouse' and there you are 

 
 

[ataradov]

There are A LOT of foot controlled devices. Here is just the first one from Google - https://www.fentek-ind.com/footime.htm

I tried one (very old, so tech may have advanced). I'm telling you, it is not easy or fun to use. You will not be able to do CAD work,I can guarantee you that.

[Electro Detective]

Not many will complain if it's good enough for surfing, Youtube, Ebay and basic office stuff

Feet can be pretty flexible and dexterous devices when hands/wrists/elbows are AWOL

[ataradov]

Well, then someone did bring to market such a device. And for $150 is is pretty cheap too.

[ajb]

It's unbelievable that no one has thought up and or brought to market a foot operated mouse to assist people with various disabilities and or injuries 

I think the problem is that there's such a large range of different disabilities that require different sorts of accommodations, so the market for any particular solution is relatively limited.  Hence the XBox Adaptive Controller, which focuses on providing a platform for integrating a wide range of controller mechanisms rather than trying to provide any one control solution.

[nctnico]

It may not solve the issue, but it does move the stress to other groups of muscles.

Carpal tunnel has nothing to do with musles or RSI. A different position of the wrist to keep the Carpal tunnel open as much as possible may help but in the end the only solution is to have the Carpal tunnel fixed by surgery.

[Nominal Animal]

I like vertically adjustable forearm supports, like these,

as they make sure the hand-wrist-forearm stays mostly linear.

I like a reclining typing position (with hand-wrist-forearm falling naturally in line) even better.

My next non-electronic project is to modify an Ikea Pello chair, by replacing the seat/padding with polypropylene webbing to combat swamp ass during the summer. The legs are plywood, and the seat structure is basically a bag over steel tubing. There will be a detachable keyboard/laptop board I'll somehow make lockable to the legs/armrests with some kind of clips or spring bolts.  (Simple pins would work, but I don't want to weaken the plywood structure by drilling holes.)

(I did already waste one Pello chair by drilling a couple of hundred 3mm holes for attaching the webbing with small screws.  Does not work; it is much better to sew the belt ends into loops instead.  Yeah yeah, I'm an idiot for even trying it; I just didn't have a sewing machine then.)

In over two decades of several hours of computer work each day, I haven't gotten severe wrist problems yet.  But, I'm painfully aware of how easily those problems escalate.  It is worth it to ensure your work habits work without damaging your body; I tend to walk when thinking.

[wilfred]

It may not solve the issue, but it does move the stress to other groups of muscles.

Carpal tunnel has nothing to do with musles or RSI. A different position of the wrist to keep the Carpal tunnel open as much as possible may help but in the end the only solution is to have the Carpal tunnel fixed by surgery.

Yep. Carpal tunnel is pressure on the nerves. If you have numbness/tingling in the fingers, but NOT the little finger, then you could have Carpal tunnel. Loss of grip strength is also a possible symptom. Wrist soreness at night is also a symptom. I suggest having a nerve conduction test if you suspect CT is a possibility. The surgery is very straightforward if it is warranted. They go through a small incision in the palm.

[Red Mountain]

Talk about a full-time brain exercise! 

[Red Mountain]

Now, that's encouraging ataradov! I understand Logitech has been dormant in the trackball scene for a while now before the MX Ergo. It's one of the models I'm considering.

[ataradov]

As others pointed out CT and RSI are different. You need to figure out what you have and act accordingly.

[Red Mountain]

It's a nouveau idea too, methinks. Great to see it's already been explored! Hopefully it doesn't end up in the Museum of Failure. Have you seen some of the amazing creations on there? Re: https://failuremuseum.com/

[Red Mountain]

Thanks guys. Obviously, the trackball vs. regular mouse debate is one of those hot button issues, and this discussion just goes to prove that. I've also been doing some digging around and I'm seriously thinking about giving it a try - at least before I consider surgery.

nctnico, the hand positioning is a biggie actually, especially as this source http://ergonomictrends.com/trackball-vs-regular-ergonomic-mouse/ points out, a lot of repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome emanate from the use of a regular mouse. I might throw that wrist rest in for good measure ataradov, to avoid the strain of the back and forth and maintain the wrist at a healthier angle.

Of course, it's not without its quirks, and one I think will be limiting is the speed and precision when it comes to the design work. But that's not a daily gig so the precision shouldn't be a make or break. I'm kind of looking forward to the new experience tbh - I reckon it's one of those hardware equivalents of switching from MacOs to Windows/Linux or vice-versa. Can't be too bad, can it?

So now I'm at a point where I'm weighing between the thumb- or finger-operated trackball. There is a Logitech MX Ergo I've come across on Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com/why-the-hell-would-anyone-use-a-trackball-mouse-1800564295. The Wire Cutter https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-trackballs/ also seems to have some great suggestions, including the Kensington Expert Mouse which seems to be quite highly regarded. These two seem to be the top dogs in their respective categories.

But I agree Greywoolfe, the ergonomics does come with a cute price tag.

[SkyMaster]

Hi people, is a trackball mouse really better than a regular mouse for someone with carpal tunnel syndrome?

VerticalMouse4 from Evoluent

https://evoluent.com/

https://evoluent.com/products/vm4r/

At some point I started to feel pain in my right wrist and arm. I immediately started shopping for a different mouse. A trackball did not help. A cheap vertical mouse did not help. But as soon as I started using VerticalMouse4 my pain disappeared. I now have two VerticalMouse4; one at home and one at work.

The VerticalMouse4 is available in two sizes and right hand or left hand. It is also available wired or wireless.

I do not know if my problem was linked to the carpal tunnel syndrome, but when the pain is bad enough; cost becomes a none issue.


Good luck with your research for a solution to your pain.

[windsmurf]

This one cured my issue when I used to mouse a lot.
https://www.amazon.com/3M-Wireless-Ergonomic-Soft-Touch-EM550GPS/dp/B001P23Z36

Takes fingers and wrist out of the equation.