Anyone have an ergonomic computer mouse or suggestions of some? I find that sometimes between playing and using a mouse on computer and going back and forth causes tension in my right hand
Me and my spouse recently got some of these, we both love 'em!
I used to have one at work and thought it was nice. But idk if it fully solves the problem. Sometimes I think the issue is the level of the computer desk vs where you sit and the level of your arm. I always feel like my desk is a little higher so im reaching up a bit and bending my wrist just to use the mouse at all
Have you ever tried something like this?
I’m on the computer constantly, I use one of these in front of my mouse, another (longer one) in front of my keyboard.
Ive seen these but never tried! How do they actually help?
I ha a lot of trouble with my wrists from working on a computer when I was a graduate student.
I don’t use a conventional mouse anymore, I use a trackball. They don’t work for gaming, but that doesn’t matter to me.
The model I use is an older Logitech, this would be the closest current model:
I’ve also used a Kensington Orbit:
I liked both but I preferred the form of the Logitech. I gave the Orbit to my Ph.D supervisor and he’s still using it years later.
I also have gel rests, as @joebegly has recommended.
It sits under your wrists, putting them up just a little higher so that you don’t feel the need to “extend” the wrist in order to reach the mouse/keyboard. It keeps your wrist more neutral on the flexation/extension plane.
Cool concept ill look into these
Nice. Worth a shot for the small price
Yeah, and let’s be honest, you could probably fold a small towel and get the same results lol! At least enough to see if it helps, then drop the few dollars on the real thing.
Hi, I had use tendonitis issues in the past few years it was so bad it hurt when I clicked the mouse. Like Tom says Trackballs are amazing, I use the Kensington Slimblade:
Great bit of kit, I tried a vertical mouse which didn’t help at all. Using this thing totally stopped the pain.
These days I use the trackball and a Razer Deatheadder mouse and have no pain anymore.
Careful with those wrist rests as that can cause carpal tunnel. You shouldn’t have pressure on your wrist. If you need to use support use it on the bottom of your palm and not the wrist.
That’s a really good point. I didn’t even give that a second thought but those supports I mentioned I use are indeed underneath the base of my palms not under my wrists as I’d incorrectly said a few posts back. If I try it too far back under the wrists, doesn’t seem to feel good.
Here’s another vote for the vertical mouse. It really saved my hand! That was years ago, and ever since I no longer experienced any problems, I’m also ok with a gel wrist pad and a regular mouse.
Another option is to learn how to use your mouse with your other hand. Years ago I had severe issues with my right wrist/forearm and had to stop working for a couple of months to recover (I’m a programmer by day). It was bloody painful!!
A work colleague had the same issue and told me to try using the mouse with my left hand. He trained himself to use the left hand for work and right hand for games. It took a bit of time - you need to build up slowly! - but nowadays I can switch back and forth effortlessly which makes it really easy to give one hand a rest if it’s getting a little sore.
Sounds hard but rewarding haha
Definitely consider a vertical mouse, it’s more like shaking hands and has less forearm rotation; I have several of these, they’re great.
Just looking this up for my wife. Here’s what I’ve found:
First best thing you can do is make sure that your ergonomics are good. By that I mean, your chair should have an arm rest to support your arm at a 90 degree angle such that your arm can then be on the mouse with no strain. There’s no need for gel supports under your wrist if your arm-rest is at the proper height and distance, but not every chair has movable arm rests. Ideally, you should be able to just rest your arm on the arm rest and have it naturally fall on the mouse. It may also require a keyboard/mouse tray or raising your chair. You may be better off spending money on getting a more ergonomic chair/desk/seating position, as if you’re using the standard of having your mouse on a desk that’s too tall, no mouse will fix the issue.
An ergonomic chair, like a Steelcase Leap or Gesture, has arm rests that can be moved up/down, forward/back, and side to side, to really put the arm support where you need them. That way there’s no pressure on your wrist at all. They’re painfully expensive new, but Crandall Office Furniture sell refurbished chairs that are like new at less than half the price. If you’re going to buy a used/refurbished chair, I highly recommend getting one from Crandall.
The one time I tried a mouse pad with a gel wrist rest, I developed significant wrist pain. It fortunately went away once I ditched the mouse pad.
Now on to the mice. I wish I could point you to one option, but different people find different mice comfortable.
For vertical mice there’s the Logitech Lift: https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Vertical-Ergonomic-Bluetooth-Compatible/dp/B09J1TB35S/ This one is better suited to small-medium hands, and there’s another from Logitech, the previously mentioned MX, for larger hands: https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Vertical-Wireless-Mouse-Rechargeable/dp/B07FNJB8TT
For productivity, some people really like this Logitech MX Master 3S: https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-MX-Master-3S-Graphite/dp/B09HM94VDS/ It’s more like a traditional mouse, but with a bit of a wider platform and a thumb-wheel to help scroll side to side.
Then you have trackballs, where Kensington is tops. This: https://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Expert-Trackball-Mouse-K64325/dp/B00009KH63/ has a really large trackball that you can use with your middle fingers, taking pressure off your thumb. The large trackball is more accurate. There’s also a budge option with a smaller trackball: https://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Orbit-Trackball-Scroll-K72337US/dp/B07YVMXLQC?th=1
Hope that helps. Good luck!