Mouse stress damage

[Doug Nelson]

If you haven't thought about the damage that can be done by spending a lot of time in front of your computer, please take some time to research it! A week ago my right pinky finger went numb, seemingly overnight. It's not carpal tunnel, that affects the other side of the hand, but it's still mouse-related.

I got a new Wacom Intuos3 tablet a few months back to replace my old one. The new tablet has a mouse, which I like a lot. But in replacing my old mouse it also replaced my old mousepad, which had a wrist cushion. So I've been mousing the past few months cushionless, hence my numbness.

I went out and bought a separate wrist pad, and feeling is starting to return. But it got me thinking that if I forgot about good ergonomics, you might too.

[Ying]

I recommend weight training.
An year ago my whole right arm was hurting, shoulder to finger tips. My back was not in good shape too.
I started training - 40 minutes 3 times a week, pull-ups and dips and some barbell deadlifting. The effect was miraculous!

[i.ilievski]

I'll go with ergonomics...
I do exercises(some light version of body building) twice a week, that works great for my back(I'm in front of a PC over 15 hour a day for the past 6-7 years), but not for my fingers and my wriston my left hand, actually lifting weight only damage my wrist, so I had a terrible pain in my wrist for the past two month's and finally get rid of it when I change back to my old ergonomic keyboard (instead of this new fancy one) and stop going to the gum that often...

[Kraellin]

i used to get the numbness too. i did something similar, only cheaper i took a thick, kitchen hotpad and put it behind my mouse pad. it's longer and wider than the wrist cushions and works great

i also work at the computer in a reclining office chair with arm rests. i'm right handed. my left arm sits for hours sometimes on the arm rest and i get that same numbness in the left hand at times, usually the pinky. i find, like ying said, that a little exercise does wonders. of course, my exercise while in the chair, amounts to stretching and that exercise type where you push/pull on things.

the only thing that bugs me about 'ergonomics' is that this gets applied to a 'one size fits all'. i'm 6 foot, 4 inches tall and 'ergonomics' in mass production philosophy leaves me with more kinks and sores than it helps. i absolutely hate those curved back chairs with the headrests, especially in cars and office chairs. those head rests hit me somewhere in the shoulder blades. bleh! so, to get the head rest in the right place, i have to slink down in the chair and that ends up not supporting my back. lol. and the worst part is, it's now hard to find a simple straight backed chair. new aint always better.

craig

[Doug Nelson]

I was doing some more research on "ulnar nerve" problems, and they mentioned armrests are a common culpret. I replaced my chair just two weeks ago, and it does have armrests so it may actually be the root cause. I've lowered them so I'm not tempted to use them while mousing.

[byRo]

I had always wondered why I was so lucky.
After over twenty years, 8 - 12 hours a day shoving a mouse around I have never had any problem.

After reading these posts maybe I found out:
1) I used to bowl a lot - so the arm / wrist / fingers always got a good work out;
2) I have never liked armrests (makes me feel sortta trapped) and have always managed to avoid them.

craig, know how you feel!
I'm not that tall but a lot higher than the average brazilian, throw in the fact of being a lefty - and now see me cussing the new ergonomic ATM's. Have to curve down to be able to read the screen and cross hands to feed the card. Must be a funny sight (for the others).

Rô

[Ying]

i.ilievski, I'm sure you haven't lifted the weights right. Most fitness instructors are worthless, so that's not a guarantee. There are many excersizes that strenghten the grip and I bet my right arm they work when done properly

Спортът е здраве, друже.

[Kraellin]

Ro,

bowling! yeah, that sounds like it would work. even golf would probably help.

the only 'ergonomic' chair i have ever liked is the dentist's chair but i'm not about to go out and pay the extremely steep price for one of those i keep telling my dentist i'm going to steal hers.

craig