My mouse finger is in severe pain in the middle joint. I run a CAD program for up to 12 hours a day that involves a lot of wheel rolling and click and hold of the wheel button.
I’ve tried left hand but its somebody else’s hand and I end up using the rude finger on the right hand instead but then get pain in the first joint because the rude finger has to cross over to the left mouse button as well (pain becomes so bad I can’t use the first finger at all)
I’ve just purchased a SYNCO crap brand mouse with a wide wheel and lighter click to the wheel button. It is a huge help.
Does anybody know where I can buy one of those big old trackball things. I know they are horrible but it seems I’m going to have to switch to one.
If your middle joint is hurting, it suggests you’re using it to click. Don’t. Click by moving your whole finger from the knuckle, keeping your finger almost straight. Or click from the wrist, by dropping your whole hand onto the mouse.
Similarly, move the mouse wheel by moving your whole hand and letting the underside of your finger roll over the wheel, rather than using the fingertip and putting strain on the joint.
Meanwhile, general mouse-use tips:
Try holding the mouse in different ways (but still with your right hand). Change the angle of your hand on it.
Make sure you hold the mouse very lightly, and let go of it any time you’re not using it.
Don’t use a wrist-rest.
Keep your wrist low, almost touching the desk.
Sometimes move the mouse by moving your arm, sometimes move it by moving your wrist.
My Logitech wireless mouse has a button in front of and a button behind the scroll wheel. Pushing the front button will scroll up and pushing the rear button will scroll down. Eliminates the need to manually roll the wheel with your finger.
And its wireless.
Made by Logitech, Model # MX700.
Its a few years old so the model # may now be different.
Good Luck.
On the left side of my keyboard there is a scroll wheel (pressable) and 2 buttons on it just like what my mouse has Perhaps a keyboard with a scroll wheel would help you, too.
Thanks for the responses guys. Gives me some more to work on.
I’ve tried to find a keyboard with some sort of mouse operations as well. I think these were in fashion a few years back.
Also, tips on changing the pressing and moving action and mouse type are great.
I don’t think its just my old age (47 y.o.) I was in a motorcycle store in London recently and saw a young guy working there with his mouse and asked him and he spent a long time telling me how much pain he suffered from.
I second what Joesax wrote: Get a graphics tablet! No need to (left-click) anymore, just tap on the tablet with your pen. Scrolling is done by sliding your finger or the pen over the integrated touch strips. BTW, Wacom from Taiwan makes the best tablets in the world
(but I guess they’re all being manufactured in China now)
!
isn’t a graphic tablet also the tool of choice for any CAD engineer? I think
they even come with templates for AutoCAD and Co so you have easy access
to your most favorite tools.
Besides that, you should give your fingers periodically a break, do some
excersises. I am sure if you google for RSI you would get plenty suggestions.
12 hours on a daily basis is just too long.
[quote=“joesax”]Trackball sounds like a good idea. Sorry, don’t know where you can buy one.
How about using a graphics pad instead of a mouse? Is that possible?[/quote]
I purcashed a Wacom graphics pad at Nova Chung Li for 3,500nt just now. It is just excellent. Lots of customizing options and best of all I can still use the mouse in a fully functional manner at the same time and tend to have it on the left side. (pen must be off the tablet for mouse to work)
My bloody finger has become worse and worse to the stage where even normal typing is a problem.
That thing is going on the list of must have options. Between the tablet and the foot mouse productivity could really go up.
No doubt the mouse is the easiest and most natural way to work but the pen is much better on your fingers, wrists, elbows and shoulders as far as I can tell at the moment. Mainly because a mouse movement requires movement from the shoulder a lot of the time.
The pen does most of the moving as in a normal pen between fingers and wrist. I read tablet reviews that small is better and this is the reason. The tablet is only 5" x 3 1/2" acive area.
Ironman, how does the tablet work? Do you have to “drag” the pointer by moving the pen, or can you just touch the pad at a particular point and the pointer jumps to the corresponding point on the screen?
