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Input Solutions for Repetitive Stress Victims?
simiproject asks: "I provide IT consulting for a 30-person organization. Recently, I have been trying to find an acceptable keyboard/mouse solution for a staff member who experiences sharp pains in her thumb, hand and arm when using her mouse. She had been using one of those 3M joystick mice and felt it only made her situation worse since it required even more extension of her thumb. Holding a pen or stylus won't work since that requires gripping. I switched her to a trackball mouse and that helped a little but not much. However, trying to find a solution that doesn't require using the thumb is like shopping in a bizarro world where we just didn't evolve with that opposing digit. I'd be interested in what practical input solutions Slashdot has for a computer user with limited hand mobility. Voice recognition? Laptop-like touch pads (I've looked but haven't found any)?"
They might ask you the URL, mighten they? http://www.footmouse.com/
-- "In order to have power, I must be taken seriously." -Mojo Jojo
This keyboard saved my wrists. It eliminates the twisting and straining to reach the back space and enter keys. http://www.typematrix.com/
Switch mousing hands, worked like a charm for me. While I'll never be as fast or accurate now that I'm a lefty, it's more than adequate for typical office software. I did have to give up the FPSes though.
She could go for the reflective dot on the forhead and webcam tracking software, but this was too geeky even for me. Check her Star Trek quotient before impelmenting.
How did you not manage to find any laptop-like touch pads? Did it occur to you to go to this awesome new site, type in "touch pads", and click "I'm feeling lucky"? You would have gotten here.
I've had this sig for three days.
http://www.evoluent.com/
adesso
Just the first two found from a googling. Trackpad or touchscreen would seem the obvious solutions to me.cirque
Never underestimate the dark side of the Source
Logitech makes a sort of trackball they call a "marble mouse". Perhaps it's the kind you've already tried, but I thought it was worth a mention. You can see some info from their site. The bottom line it that it's a trackball that you operate with your index (and/or middle) finger rather than your thumb (as is traditional). I still use my thumb to click buttons, but it's a lot less work. If that's an issue, you can probably configure the computer to reverse left and right clicks, which would make the action even less frequent. I found it a bit akward to use at first, but I got used to it pretty quickly.
"You call it a new way of thinking; I call it regression to ignorance!" -- Operation Ivy
I find most desktop keyboards are subpar and almost all laptop keyboards to be horrible.
;D
Here's what I use and as a sufferer of RSS, I highly recommend the Goldtouch keyboards
http://www.sforh.com/keyboards/split.html
I use one with my laptop and it is great. I have also had some luck with,
1) icing my wrists as there seems to be swelling,
2) having a chiropractor adjust the vertebrae between my shoulder blades as they tend to get screwed up by the leaning/hunching over as my RSS is in both hands and getting my wrist bones adjusted
3) using the split keyboard and an ergo mouse - original mouseman + (ball) which are hard to come by these days so I stocked up
I don't know why you had such a hard time finding one, I found one here and here. They are somewhat expensive, but you didn't state that price was a concern. Otherwise, most old laptop touchpads have PS2 interfaces, so if you're an elite hardware hacker (or play one on TV), you could do some kind of cool mod and post it on the internet. Good luck soldering ribbon cables, though.
I have the same problem myself. After trying numerous things I've found that the Evoluent vertical Mouse 2 works, as the hand is at a completly different angle than a normal mouse, trackball or touchpad. I also use a Futuro RSI wrist strap which limits the movement in the wrist and forces me to keep it at the correct angle etc for the keyboard.
Laptop-like touch pads (I've looked but haven't found any)?
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Well, first link under the google search "touchpad mouse" found this: http://www.askergoworks.com/shopdisplayproducts.a
The google ad supplied link was this: http://www.google.com/url?sa=L&ai=BQGSCbw63RKr6EJ
So you can see, just using the right search term comes up with several. I know I have owned one that looks exactly like the "Easy Cat II" (it may have been the original since I have had it since 1994).
We were all warned a long time ago that MS products sucked, remember the Magic 8 Ball said, "Outlook not so good"
I haven't used this myself, but the ErgoClick uses the palm for clicking, and thus should relieve a lot of stress from the thumb.
What's kept my RSI problems at bay for the last 13 years is the Kinesis Contoured Keyboard and a BodyBilt chair with linear tracking arms. I cannot recommend these highly enough. They have saved me from being in terrible agony every day.
The chair is rather expensive, but certainly much cheaper than either going on disability or a Vicodin addiction. The Kinesis keyboard takes a bit of getting used to, and all my friends who I have suggested it to, have initially cursed at me over the learning curve. But all of them have also later come back to me and thanked me profusely for saving them from a life of torment.
I know that some people also swear by the DataHand, but that requires a lot more relearning than even the Kinesis. I would have tried that next, however, if the Kinesis keyboard hadn't solved my woes.
|>oug
Simple question - Is she holding the mouse properly? (Don't take this as a condesending question - no one ever teaches people how to hold/use a mouse and ergonomics is very important - humans just aren't naturally designed to sit in chairs all day long). Pain such as this can often be caused by having the arm at the wrong angle causing the wrist to be twisted at an odd angle for long hours.
Instead of just looking at the mouse, I'd suggest looking at her complete desk/chair/keyboard setup. Starting at the bottom and working your way up.
Chair
Her chair should be such that her feet comfortably touch the ground when the knees are bent at about 90 (ie. not dangling and not cramped backwards/stretched forward) and her back is straight and comfortably supported. This should then put her elbows at about level of the desk surface.
Desk
Get her to place her hands on the keyboard with her shoulders relaxed and her forearms should be able to rest along the desk surface (alot of people have their keyboard too close cramping up their shoulders and causing the elbows to stick out and wrists to be twisted... move the keyboard back towards the monitor until its at a good comfortable length). Do the same for the mouse and get her to hold it.
Mouse
Since her arm is now relaxed and stretched out, the base of the mouse should rest under the palm of the hand, with the base of the palm resting on the mousepad, so the fingers naturally stretch forward over the buttons. Alot of people hold mice incorrectly from above and then move it with their wrist. The wrist shouldn't actually move much (it wiggles a bit) but most of the movement actually coming from small movements of the elbow/shoulder (which translate to larger movements of the forearm which transfer through the base of the palm to the mouse - basically her watch should move in sync with the mouse and not sit still).
Once all this is done and correct then you can check if the mouse if comfortable or not (I had one mouse which was too tall (meant for a bigger hand or just bad design) and I noticed the effect after a week as my wrist was tilted back just a fraction too much).
...how about Touch Screen.
Wincopy
Most people have horrible posture when typing, resting their arms on corners, extending their hands far out to the right (past the vestigal number pad) to mouse, keeping their head at an awkward angle that distorts their spine's natural curves..
First off, she should listen to her body. If something hurts, stop doing it. This is the fair warning that her body is giving her. She can take breaks-- walk once around the building, refill her water glass, stretch in place, shake her hands. Use a timer in Outlook that goes off every twenty minutes at first until the symptoms show continued improvement.
Second, she should avoid Repetive Motions as much as possible. Break the habit. Mix things up frequently.
* Switch mousing hands regularly.
* Always rest hands in the lap.
* Adjust or fix the lighting. (reduces muscle tension and eye strain)
* Adjust the monitor height.
* Switch out the effing keyboard for something without an attached number pad.
* Get a keyboard that is the right size for her body frame.
* Attach multiple mice to her system for instant switching.
* Get an adjustable keyboard tray.
* Learn and use keyboard shortcuts.
* Change positions several times a day.
* Get an adjustable monitor stand. (and replace the monster CRT with an LCD)
* Automate her crap work.
Touchpad mice let her use her thumb, pinky, palm, even her knuckles if her hand is being too sensitive. It's easy enough to attach both a touchpad and a normal (but ergonomic) mouse to the system so that she can switch between them according to the action/gesture and what her hand is feeling that moment.
I'm pissed that I missed the boat on the Touchstream keyboard/mice/touchpads, but the TypeMatrix keyboards are a great second-place winner. The keyboards come in a small and large size, with the small one suitable for most people. They also fit correct posture more naturally, by getting rid of the oh-so-stupid staggered key layout, and by separating the left and right sizes a little, and adding extra enter/backspace keys in the center for good measure.
I got one for someone at our work with chronic pain, and she had no problem adjusting to the new layout in hours. Her condition has improved a lot, and she credits the keyboard and better lighting. (I tried to get her to use a touchpad mouse, but it completely ignored her touch.)
At my desk, I have the TypeMatrix keyboard, a regular mouse for precision-work, and a Cirque touchpad for normal mousing. (The touchpad is 9 years old, and still works great.) I put a large box on the side table so that I can also stand and use my personal laptop for the 40% of my work that is internet crap and web-development. When I'm web browsing (er, researching), I can actually kick back in my chair, and do everything just with the touchpad. Change positions!
(I have considered the Kenesis split keyboard but it was too big and pricey for me at the time. I call it a fine third choice.)
Everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts.
Everything from ergonomic keyboards and mice to foot pedals and eye-control: ...
Fentek Industries
Kinesis Corporation
AbilityHub
Solutions for Humans
"Good news, everyone!"
Specifically, this one
I used to spend 8 hours a day sitting on my specially-ordered ergonomic chair, tapping away at my ergonomic keybaord, wearing wrist supports, popping pain killers, and contemplating quitting my job because I had RSI in both wrists so badly my hands actually burned with pain. I started the excercises listed for wrist pain in that book one weekend, and when I came back to work on Monday, I chucked my wrist supports into my desk drawer, along with my painkillers, and never used them again. The chair went back to the suppliers a few days later.
RSI is *not* caused by too much movement - the body exists for no other purpose than movement, and it was "designed" for a hell of a lot more movement than we give it by sitting in chairs all day. The cause of RSI is *bad* movement: Movement in a bad posture, using the wrong muscle groups, etc. A primary cause of my burning hands was that I typed with my hands bent back so the tendons in my forearm were scraping over the bones, rubbing them raw: sitting up straighter so my hands naturally bent forward/downward eliminated 90% of my pain overnight.
The problem is with the body, not the office equipment. So don't waste your money on a new mouse: Fix the real problem.
So.. it has come to this
I switched hands too (from right to left) and that worked like a charm till I got pain in my left arm. Because the problem never went away in my right arm, despite exclusively using my left, I had no arms left. I sought professional help (which I strongly recommend to the poster's client) and they showed me why switch is a BAD idea. Because your primary arm is dominant its muscles also tense up when using your other arm thus it is never truly relieved. So you are not only causing a new problem in your second arm but also supporting your existing problemen in your primary arm (or shoulder-side or wrist). I was told this and then hooked up to a muscle-tension meter so I could verify this for myself.
I have had great help from a specialized practice. It consisted of a multi-disciplinary approach including: psychologist, physiotherapist and mensendieck. My problems have not disappeared but I have learned technics to managed them.
Seriously: Don't switch! Get professional help!
Let her change hands. I did it myself and am now better in using my 'off' hand. I played stupid games like Minesweeper to train it.
Then do something about the pain and damage. Physical therapy worked fine for me. Physical therapists know a lot more about muscles and joints than your average medical practitioner.
Also, do something about the underlying causes. Probably the physical therapist can advise her best, otherwise get a ergonomist.
But get her to do something about the complaints! Just providing her with another way of input is not enough.
I have been suffering from RSI for about a year now and found some things that help.
Voice control software. I use ViaVoice myself. It is a real pain to train, but once done it is very good for emails, documents and the like. Probably too unwieldy for a total replacement, but it can reduce the typing load.
RSIGuard a handy program that forces you to take breaks based on how much you have used the mouse or keyboard. Simple idea, but it is so easy to forget to take breaks.
Aerobic Mouse or Quill Mouse. If gripping a pointing device is the problem this is great. Its like a vertical mouse and your hand sits in a tray on the side of it. You can move it around and keep the hand relaxed.
For further reading:
What, me worry?
She needs to see an orthopedic surgeon NOW!!!!!!
I have the same problem: changing hands is initially awkward, but it helps.
Check her posture ... any reaching forward aggravates the tendons. Ergonomics must be perfect.
A keyboard with integrated touchpad would allow her to use fingertips instead of thumb ... might help.
She needs to REST NOW or this can turn into a permenent problem! And a wrist splint that immobilizes the thumb (the low-cost equivalent is to tape the thumb to the hand). Wearing wrist braces as much as possible
Taking painkillers is counterproductive unless you take painkillers AND rest ... painkillers without rest allows you to continue damaging the tendons and by the time the damage is so great the painkillers don't work, the tendons might be beyond recovery.
I am an attorney (although this is not my area of practice), and this sounds like a clear violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The act generally requires employers to make reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities and under no circumstances does it allow an employee to be fired BECAUSE of a disability. What qualifies as a disability that requires accommodation is constantly evolving in the courts - but repetitive stress certainly qualifies. Your company is lucky that this manager did not sue.