Hand Hurts After Years of Mouse Use

[novon]

Anyone have pain or tingling in the hand after using the mouse all day? I'm afraid I'm doing permanent damage, but I need to use the mouse for my work. It doesn't seem to make a difference using wrist pads, ergonomic mice, etc. Anyone have any recommendations?

 

[conjur]

Get a left-handed mouse and alternate

 

[OS]

you're at risk for CTS. See a doc.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: conjur
Get a left-handed mouse and alternate

i thought everybody knew to alternate

 

[SSP]

I used to get it, but now that I use a gel wrist pad, I dont get that anymore. I dont have that burn mark anymore either. Totally worth the 20 bucks for the mousepad+gel thingie.

 

[stonecold3169]

Are you certain it's from the mouse, and is it always consistant?

My mom is a secratary, and used to think her left hand got like that from typing... it turns out she had (and has) a brain disorder that can cause complete numbness in areas of less circulation (hands, feet, etc...). I highly suggest you go and get it checked out before it gets to be potentially too late for that

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: NeuroSynapsis

Originally posted by: conjur
Get a left-handed mouse and alternate

i thought everybody knew to alternate

You mean switching hands? Man, my friend can do it so well he can switch without missing a stroke. *cream*

 

[Ornery]

Shouldn't need any mouse pad at all. And don't think wrist rest, think arm rest. If you get that mousing surface down to the level of your keyboard, as well as a place to rest your arm, you won't need a wrist rest. Think lowered, L-shape desk. Get that desk dialed in first, then the mouse situation will be taken care of automatically.

 

[SSP]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Shouldn't need any mouse pad at all. And don't think wrist rest, think arm rest. If you get that mousing surface down to the level of your keyboard, as well as a place to rest your arm, you won't need a wrist rest. Think lowered, L-shape desk. Get that desk dialed in first, then the mouse situation will be taken care of automatically.

Dude that desk fscking rule!! I'm resting my elbow in my chair arm, and it?s not padded so it hurts like hell sometimes. I need to get me one of those desks.

 

[Kadarin]

I agree that geometry is everything. At my last job, in spite of a gel keyboard wristguard and gel mousepad, my wrist would often get sore, but that had more to do with desk/chair height and geometry than anything else.

 

[dakata24]

Originally posted by: SSP

Originally posted by: Ornery
Shouldn't need any mouse pad at all. And don't think wrist rest, think arm rest. If you get that mousing surface down to the level of your keyboard, as well as a place to rest your arm, you won't need a wrist rest. Think lowered, L-shape desk. Get that desk dialed in first, then the mouse situation will be taken care of automatically.

Dude that desk fscking rule!! I'm resting my elbow in my chair arm, and it?s not padded so it hurts like hell sometimes. I need to get me one of those desks.

sweet desk. how much/where can i get one of those?

 

[Ornery]

It was cut from a sheet of birch plywood, which is about $40.00. You can make two desktops from one sheet, if you cut it right. This is a drawing of our den and bedroom. The desk in the bedroom is one half of a sheet. I can upload the CAD file, if anyone is interested.

The main thing to do, is put the desktop height at only 24". Normal desk height is 30", and a keyboard drawer is mounted under that. Times change. People use their keyboard and mouse more than the actual desktop writing surface. My station doesn't really have a normal height writing surface!

 

[Pastore]

It's carpal tunnel syndrome. Google it.

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Shouldn't need any mouse pad at all. And don't think wrist rest, think arm rest. If you get that mousing surface down to the level of your keyboard, as well as a place to rest your arm, you won't need a wrist rest. Think lowered, L-shape desk. Get that desk dialed in first, then the mouse situation will be taken care of automatically.

That's pretty good ergonomic design.

I should mention I too used to get the tingling in my hands, it was from resting my arms on the edge of the table. I think that was cutting off circulation. To fix it, I just scooted in my seating position more and rested my elbows on my desk. I don't get the tingling anymore.

 

[Atlantean]

I would have to agree with the geometry thing. Now is the time that high school bs comes back to bite you in the ass.

 

[Ornery]

Speaking of high school, those desks are what inspired my keyboard/mouse/mug holder chair. Please excuse the poor images, they were captured from video tape.

The school combo-desks, with the arm wrapping around the side, are PERFECT! I was actually wanting to get one and convert it to a keyboard/mousing surface, but built the chair above, instead.

Edit: This is the latest picture of it, dismantled, sitting in the porch, collecting dust. It's a REAL comfortable soft leather chair, that was VERY hard to replace!

 

[0roo0roo]

yup, always worry about ergonomics above all else with your comp. cheaping out = bad

i use a cordless for my left hand alternate mouse

 

[CJZ]

You're going to want to see a doctor since you are experiencing some of the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. In carpal tunnel syndrome, it is thought that the median nerve (running down the arm palm side up) is being compressed by frequent and repetitive motions of the hand/wrist. Pain or tingling in the hand is a common symptom. Treatments for CTS include splinting and surgery (they cut the flexor retinaculum freeing the median nerve). I believe a recent study showed that surgery is more effective long term than splinting.

As I always recommend on ATOT: Go see your doctor

 

[Zebo]

This is gonna sound crazy but I had CTS and it went away when I got regular deep tissue messages. I get them every week for real cheap at the local COMMUITY COLLEGE. Now I never have a problem even after 10 hours mouseing.

 

[0roo0roo]

low friction mousepad? gel wrist rests?