Ergonomic Trackball

Hi Guys I have been using an old trackman marble from logitech for years and loved it, I use a wacom for drawing, however in the last few weeks I have been having pain in my arm and wrist area every time i use the trackbal so its time for a new one.

So I need some input I have looked online at a few but its really hard to decide. I would love some recommendations on what people are currently using thanks.

I've been using computers since way before mice and never had troubles until the onset of my SL addiction. At the first twinge of pain, I switched to a Microsoft Trackball Optical "thumbball" and haven't had a problem since. If I recall correctly, vintage Logitech balls were about a about half a centimeter in diameter; newer ones are about 3cm.

Thumbs are way more dexterous than shoulder/elbows and I'd recommend any such thumbball from MS or Logitech.

Good luck; pain sucks.

I'm somewhat allegic to trackballs, so I can't really advise you specifically in that regard, but speaking more generally, what I can tell you is a good gel wrist rest works wonders. Most so-called ergonomic input devices, while far better than their boxy, non-ergonomic predecessors, are NOT repetetive stress injury preventors in and of themselves. They have to be used in conjunction with other aids in order to work properly.

The problem is ergonomic input devices typically are built with the hand in mind, not the wrist. As a result, their round-top, organic shape ends up forcing the wrist to bottom out, and the hand to tilt backwards and upwards so that the palm and fingers can wrap "comfortably" around the device. In other words, the great job they do of fitting the hand really so well is usually done at the expense of the wrist. Over time carpral tunnel and/or tendenitus is inevitable. By the look of it, the Trackman Marble is no exception to this.

The good news is gel wrist rests are cheap, and VERY effective. Look for one that has enough height so that when your wrist is on it, your hand lies flat across the trackball chassis instead of tilting upward. About 1/2 - 2/3 of the hight of the device is best. You want your wrist to be straight at all times, never bent backwards.

The rest I use is from 3M (I've got two, actually, one for the keyboard, and one for the mouse), and it has ben a real lifesaver. It's oval shaped, about an inch and a quater tall, with a thick rubber base, a silky black terry cloth cover, and the gel it's filled with is very firm and supportive, not soft and flimsy like some other rests I've tried (memory foam sucks). This one's got just enough give so that the bones of my wrist can depress into it to rest naturally, but not so much that the wrist ends up lowering or flexing at all.

Also, a good adjustable armchair is a must for preventing wrist and back problems. You want one that allows you to set the arms rests high enough that your fore-arms can rest perfectly horizontally when your hands are on the keybaord and mouse. Without arm rests at that height, your back, shoulders, and wrists are under considerable strain every time you sit in front of the computer. If you're not using a good armchair, consider the wrist pain to be the first early warning sign of a larger systemic problem.

Decent chairs, like wrist rests, need not be expensive, by the way. I used to have a $500 leather executive chair, which I sat in every day for 3 or 4 years before I realized it was turning my body into a pain factory. Now I've got a $100 chair from Office Max that supports my arms and my back perfectly.

Finally, you may also want to consider switching to a mouse. I know trackball users tend to get attached to them, so you probably don't like the sound of that idea, but hear me out. Chances at this point that you've strained the tendon leading from your thumb to your wrist, and probably the muscles in your forearm that control that tendon as well. If that's the case, you really should give your thumb a break. Repetetive stress is no laughing matter, and it has to be taken seriously. Your body is telling you something is very wrong. Every time you use your thumb to move that little ball, you're worsening the injury.

Using a mouse, at least for a while, would mean using an entirely different set of muscles and tendons, and allow the injured ones to heal a but. The real problem with repetitive stress injuries, of course, is that they never heal fully, so you might find that even after a break, the problem is still there if you go back to the trackball, but you might get lucky. Or, you might just get used to the mouse and not want to go back anyhow.

Anyway, I realize nothing I've said is the answer you were looking for, but as somone who's been through tons of wrist and back problems, all due to computer use, I figured I should speak up. Good luck.

I use a Kensington Orbit Elite trackball. Puts a (largish) ball under fore- and middle-fingers, left mouse under thumb, right mouse under ring or little finger. The shape is such that my wrist stays flat or almost flat - I rest my forearm on the desk when using it for prolonged periods and if I put my hands on the desk the natural curl of the fingers keeps the wrist at the same angle.

I've never had RSI that low, I used to get it in the shoulder with a mouse, but this trackball works a treat.

The rest of Chosen's advice I very much agree with. Although my chair was rather more expensive than that, but still totally wonderful, cheap options such as plastic raisers under the legs of the desk so you can sit comfortably and have the desktop at about elbow height or slighly under make a huge difference too.

For reasons of possible insanity I spent 17 hours or so on both Saturday and Sunday in front of my computer. It's not something I'd recommend (nor do) regularly, but with the right desk height and a good chair you *can* do it every now and again without aches and pains.

I'm using (amongst other input devices) a Logitech "Marble Mouse" which, despite its name, is actually a trackball. Its biggest advantage is being useable for righties and lefties due to its symmetric form, but it doesn't have a scroll button. Still, if you feel comfortable switching your input device from one hand to another so as not to strain one arm exclusively, it might be worth a try.

Another nice "gadget" against RSI is a little program named Workrave (for Linux and Win) which reminds the user to take mini-breaks of 20 seconds every 5 minutes (or however you configure it). I haven't been using it for long, but found that it does help me to review my back and arm position every so often, and that I feel less strained after a day at the computer with Workrave.

Also, don't necessarily dismiss mice - I used to hate all my mice until I finally bought a light-weight, ergonomically-shaped mouse (actually a gamer mouse, the Logitech MX 510) and a mousepad with a gel hand rest, that really made a difference. While the high resolution and very easy gliding of the mouse is nice for games, it's even nicer for tired arms and hands

Just a note to those who might have recently started to use larger monitors and higher resolutions for their displays, and more so for those with dual monitors. Most people do not notice this, but a higher screen resolution sometimes results in your input device to not be able to track across the screen in one stroke even when set at the highest speed rating. Or in the case of trackballs, more revolutions. RSI develops when you start to constantly lift the mouse and place it back again.

Part of the solution is to get one of those newer mice with a higher DPI rating. These are normally labelled as 'gaming' mice. However, they are superb for use with other professional apps as well. Logitech and Razer produce some of the better ones so far.

I can't resist pointing out this one:

Proposal to move this to the marital aids thread.

haha that looks like controls to a space station.

Thanks for the input my trackball actually uses the fore figer and middle finger, but that doesnt change the things that Chosen pointed out as I am sure I have strained something as just resting my hand on the track ball right now is not comfortable after a short amount of time.

Thanks for reminding me about the gel pads I had gotten some of those and not used them so its time to give them a try as well