Slashdot Mirror
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)?"
Seriously. He should try putting the mouse on the floor and moving it around with his foot. Manipulating mouse buttons doesn't really require a lot of manual dexterity.
On the whole, though, this is a very tricky issue. A friend of mine has really bad repeat stress injury and there's no easy way to "fix" it. The way to get better is to cease doing the activity that messed you up to begin with. In this modern world it seems a little inconceivable that you'd go without using a computer -- perhaps for years -- but that might be what it takes. Lousy, but would he rather stay injured the rest of hia life?
Breakfast served all day!
Personally, when I've tried to use foot switches for clicking, I just ended up moving the problem from my hands to my knees.
|>oug
There is actually very little in most Windows applications that you cannot do with keyboard shortcuts. Once people learn them, not only is it much better for their health, but it is actually much faster. Why click on the "Save" icon when you can just press ctrl+s? Combine the use of leyboard shortcuts with the IBM usb keyboard model 31P8950 with "Ultra Nav", which has a touch pad and a pointing stick - use whichever feels better. You should be able to reduce the pointing activity by at least 75%, which, combined with the better pointing device, should help quite a bit.
In both this article and the one about standing vs. sitting at work, I see endless well-intentioned posts from people saying, "this is how you fix your problem." Almost always, it means (and often actually says) "this is how I fixed my problem, so you should do it to."
Bottom line here folks is that what works for you might not work for me. Your ideal mouse isn't mine. Your wrist problems might in fact be caused by the same thing as my back problems and buddy's thumb problems, with the only difference being in how we've adapted to a flawed situation. Alternatively, what caused your thumb problem (and hence what fixed it) might not be even remotely related to what caused my nearly-identical thumb problem, and so the same fix might not work.
The best advice you can get is to start with a standard configuration, identify the problem, and then explore as many potential fixes until you find the one that works. This is not an exact science! There are no single, deterministic solutions to each problem!
So in short, consider every solution offered with a grain of salt--but do consider it.
"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
1) use the other hand
./, here's mine: think CTS. 1) look at her chair height and wrist position (chair high enough, wrist straight and not leaning on an edge. mouse in natural work position not elevated, lowered or off in the next cube); 2) is she gripping the mouse or lightly framing it (if you grab the cord there should be play in the mouse). Is she using a gel rest, or a wrist guard? Is she otherwise fit and healthy? Has she seen a doctor?
2) book some quality time with an Occupational Therapist.
I favour the latter. I believe that this person is going to continue to have these problems no matter what pointer she uses until the actual problem (which IMO has nothing to do with using a mouse per se) is fixed. An OT can look at the way she positions her wrist, arm and shoulder as well as checking many other variables. The thumb is the kicker. When I use a mouse my thumb rests lightly against the side of the mouse and only moves a few millimeters with respect to my palm. I could easily use my mouse with my thumb in a cast or with no thumb at all if I taped a pencil to my wrist.
Most alternatives will increase the stress on the wrist, thumb or shoulder. Touch pad: thumb and shoulder; Thumb ball: thumb; Pen: wrist and shoulder etc.
Since you are asking medical advice on
You've been victimized by the keyboard?
Give me a break.
I suppose you're probably going to sue Dell, huh?
Everyone's a victim these days, it seems.
15 minute break every 2 hours for stretching and moving around. Therapist usually have some workout program that can be done at work. A massage if possible once a week is also doing wonders here at my workplace.
Tis certainly part of the problem.
If a physical therapist can recommend and watch over some other forms of excercise, you can start to balance out and strengthen other muscles and possibly attentuate or eliminate the problems. It did work for me, though I realize if it gets bad enough that it is difficult to get over.
i hope that was a joke - if not, you are one evil . . . . I hope that you never find out what its like to have RSI and get fired.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."