Mouse Alternatives?

I have not read all the responses in full, but I feel you... anyway, I use a mouse called the aerobic mouse, or renaissance mouse. I have used this brand and type of mouse exclusively for about 6 years now and i can vouch for its pain relief (especially when I am forced to use regular mice when i'm not at my normal computer!)



http://www.aerobicmouse.com/welcome/

Recently I tried to use a trackball mouse when my regular mouse broke. It was ok for a couple weeks but the pain returned and after about 2 months I broke down and bought another aerobic mouse.. The problem is (besides the outrageous cost), they don't seem to last that long for me... perhaps I am a heavy user. After about a year and a half the mouse buttons seem to break... air blasting it helps for a while but eventually it just won't work.. )

Anyway, I would *highly* recommend trying out some type of vertical mouse as your first option. If you do get one and start using it, be aware that there can be an adjustment period where your wrist/arm might get a little sore from using different muscles. After a few days that will go away.

good luck and don't overdo it!!! if you start to hurt all the time, seriously.. log off and get an ice pack. trust me

One of my coworkers has an ongoing wrist problem. It's not RSI but it is aggraviated by the same motions that cause RSI. He had been receiving injections in his wrist on a regular basis and was facing surgery.

He recently started using a "vertical mouse". He has one from
http://www.evoluent.com/.
After using it only a short while he swears buy it. He says he could tell the difference in how his wrist feels after just a few days. He admits it was a bit clumsy to use for the first few days, but he quickly became comfortable with it. I'm planning on get one myself.

I've been using the Space Navigator for over a year. While it's a must have for doing 3D CAD work in my opinion, for SL I'm still not sold on it. Even doing CAD the SN is an addition to the mouse instead of a replacement for it.

Looks interesting, Tex, but I don't think it would help my problem. I don't have pain in the wrist and arm...mostly in the index (clicking) finger, and just behind the third and fourth fingers in the palm.

I am using a Space Navigator, and I like it. I still do use ALT+mouse to cam around quickly though, and I don't use the SN for building. I haven't figured out how to limit movement with it to one axis at a time yet.

I'm gonna call Emperor's New Clothes on this one and say the obvious.

Cut back on the computer time.



If it's causing you chronic pain... and you still feel compelled...

Come on, Des...I can quit any time I want to. Honest.

You do have feet too, you know!

You could hire a "boy toy" to move your mouse for you. You can sit on his lap and just tell him where to point.

Ann, I have used Space Navigator on a Mac for a little over a month. Love it and won't trade it. SetUp was easy, the only downside people might see is you have to use the current Release Candidate. The RC is the only current viewer that can interface with the Space Navigator.

It takes a little time to get comfortable with it. Once that's done, it's great.

The initial purchase was driven for screencast needs. I started using it for building, especially for assembling sculpties into one build. The single click Flycam and using the 3D motion of the Space Navigator make this a breeze.

Torley has several tutorial clips on it. Worth checking out.

Have you tried a rat, or perhaps a vole or even a hamster or gerbil?
If you are feeling brave you could even use a guineapig but you'd need a bigger mat.

I sympathise with the wrist problem and I hope you find a real solution, but I couldn't resist the above suggestion.

Make sure your posture is correct.

You want you arms at a sort of 90 degree angle, from your elbow I mean, not from your shoulders.

Wrist rests are good.

The suggestion about swapping hands is very good, resting the troublesome hand really is a good fix.

SL or not... I'm on a computer doing scripting and 3D modeling up to 16 hours a day. I use a Workrite negative angled under-desk keyboard tray, a Microsoft Wave keyboard, and a Kensington Expert mouse. That, a good adjustable chair, and proper posture works wonders. (^_^)y

Definitely recommend a mousemat with gel wrist pad, and a gel wrist support for the keyboard, too.

Some years ago, I had a keyboard with a trackball located in the centre of the spacebar. I haven't seen one exactly like that in ages now, but after a couple of hours getting used to it, it was surprisingly intuitive, and I didn't have to keep moving my hands from a separate trackball to the keyboard, then back again.

Nearest I can find online to that kind of thing now is this:

http://www.tg3electronics.com/products/images/blb_1.jpg

Or this, if you can get used to a completely different style of keyboard (which is *horrendously* expensive):

http://www.the-rsi-shop.com/products/maltrondualhanded3dtrackballkeyboardqwertylayoutgreyps2.asp

Ciaran's comment comes closet to what I was getting ready to mention, but doesn't quite get to it. A couple of years ago I started developing mouse hand, elbow and shoulder pain and numbness in my hand. I was working at a job that kept me at the PC most of the day and then playing SL at night. After trying several ergonomic solutions mentioned here and still having the pain and numbness. My MD finally prescribed several visits to a physical therapist who was able to correctly identify and help me correct the problem.

The problem was that my vision was getting worse so I was leaning forward towards the monitor to see better, putting my head and shoulders forward with my neck turned up, chin out. Doing this for hours every day was pinching the nerves where they exit the spine/neck and feed down into ones shoulders, arms and hands, manifesting itself as pain and numbness in those extremities. Those nerves exit the spine very high up in the neck.

New prescription lenses just for working at a computer plus correcting my posture and exercises to straighten, strengthen and realign my spine in the neck area, combined with physical therapy to help relaze the muscle tension in my neck and shoulders relieved the problem. I'm now very conscious of keeping my chin, neck and shoulders aligned to avoid a reoccurrence of this problem.

Posture is important!

I have a Space Navigator as well and it is really amazing, just spend some time in mouselook mode walking around with it, you can swing your camera around while you walk providing an entire new level of immersion (you can do the same while flying too for a true bird's eye view). Also, since I use it with my left hand (I am normally right handed) it has eliminated some of the stress put on to my right hand and I seem to have less issues of pain in my mouse hand.

One thing though, I am quite positive that you do not need the Release Candidate version of SL to use one anymore, in fact the Release Candidate is at version 1.20.14 and the main download is 1.20.15. I really don't see much use in using the Release Candidate at all anymore and expect it will be replaced in the very near future with a new Releasse Candidate supporting Mono and some other new upcoming features.

You might want to look at http://www.camspace.com/ It allows a camera to be used for many mouse and joystick replacement.

If I am sitting on his lap, I'm afraid that it's not his mouse hand that he will be pointing with. I can see endless communication problems and distractions arising...

ME: Point over there at that vendor, dear...
BoyToy: Here?
ME: No, the one with the silver gray evening gown.
BT: This one?
ME: Yes. Oh, it doesn't have the glitch pants in layers. Try over there...
BT: Here?
ME (wriggling a little): Mmmm. No, a little more to the right...
BT: Have I got the right spot now?
ME: Up a little, please.
BT: Like this?
ME: Oooh. Yes!
BT: Should I click on it?
ME: Mm? Click?

For all the dedicated, ergonomic solutions, I've found that a simple wristband works wonders. -Not the soft sweatbands, but the harder ones, supporting the wrist.

I picked up a joystick for a few dollars and a program called JoyToKey...

I takes some time to set up and a bit of re learning...

but now I switch back and forth...

my hand hurts less after hours and hours


the JoyToKey program lets me make some button shortcuts...

get a rat?

Chosen, thanks for all the info. Could you tell me which Wacom tablet you are using?

Simple way to prevent trouble for many: change position!

Most of us end up locked in one position while we're working. This makes muscles stiff and sore, and teaches those pesky ligaments some bad habits.

The setup we have at work is entirely different from what I have at home. I can spend hours working at the PC for two reasons: I don't do the same thing all the time, and I don't sit in the same position for more than 20 minutes or so. I stretch, sit bolt upright, slouch back in the unsupportive chair they give me at work, push back against the terrifically supportive chair I have at home, lean forward, lean back, etc.

In the bad old days, I spent hours in one position doing high-speed keyboarding. Now that speed isn't an issue and I move around more, I have no pain and don't get as tired at the end of the day.

Fidget! It keeps you flexible and burns calories at the same time!

(That's how the real nerds exercise.)

My main one is a 12x19" Intuos3. I absolutely love the thing, definitely one of the best investments I ever made. I also have a smaller 6x9" Intuos3, which I use when traveling.

Previously, I had a little 4x5" Graphire3 for several years. I eventually gave it to a friend after I got the second Intuos3. As far as I know, he's still got it.

consider raising or lowering your chair....

If your elbow is too low, you'll be pressing down with your wrist all the time.. if your elbow is too high, you'll have different sorts of pain problems.

Padded wrist wrests, optical mice... try NOT using an ergonomic mouse! not every "ergonomic" device is right for every person, or for every workspace.

Change your position first.. it's cheaper than shelling out 50-300 USD for new peripherals.

I have been using this model for a couple years as well, an amazing device that has really helped me with the wrist pain I had been suffering from. Very easy to use with SL and smooth operating. I don't recommend Microsoft trackballs though, they don't "roll" easy, you nearly have to drag the ball around.

My brother had to have surgery on his wrist after an accident as a child and mice cause him intense pain after a short time so I bought him one of these. He can use the computer for hours now with little pain. He's telling me to also mention keyboard shortcuts are worth learning as well.

EDIT: BTW, the suggestion of a Wacom tablet is also a good one, I've used my 4x6 tablet a few times in SL, but it felt like I was drawing too much