Carpal Tunnel?

[AndyR]

OK, last year I started getting cramp in my right hand during the day which I attributed to using a mouse a lot (IT Support job) as it went away at weekends. I changed to a trackball and it got better to the point where it basically went away.

Recently though its come back. I'm still using a trackball at work and over the last few days its got that bad I've taken to trying to use my left hand instead which is interesting.

I've looked up carpal tunnel but this seems to be numbness/tingling in the figures where all I have is a constant dull pain in the ball of my hand at the base of the thumb, which hurts when touched and stops me bending my thumb back too much.

Does anyone else have similar problems and if so how do you manage? I'm thinking of scrapping my Mighty Mouse at home in case this isnt helping either.

Thx.

 

[iGav]

Does anyone else have similar problems and if so how do you manage?

I was always of the impression that a trackball would be no better than a mouse over a period of time, it's not necessarily the movement that's the problem, it's the repetition of such a restricted movement (whether it be a mouse or a ball) that causes the problems.

I get tendonitis on my right wrist, which I put down to being on the Mac for 12 hours a day, 6/7 days a week, though I think my pains are also exasperated by the fact that I once properly broke my wrist/arm and that's never really healed properly, so come winter time with the cold and damp, things get worse.

I use a Wacom pretty much all of the time, and that does help, because you can set it up to require your movements to be more exaggerated from the arm, rather than being focused purely from the wrist, which obviously reduces stress on the wrist. Also because you have to put it down and pick it up... what movement you do get is more diverse.

It also does away for the need to 'click' with your fingers, which reduces stress on your tendons. I also use a support bandage on my wrist, that keeps everything toasting warm, and everything just seems to work smoother.

 

[Caezar]

I started to feel pain in my hand/wrist 6 years ago. I realized what causes the pain is my using the index to left-click.

The problem disappeared the day I started to use Logitech's Marble Mouse (an inexpensive track-ball). With the the Marble Mouse I now use the thumb instead of the index to left click. My pain is entirely gone.

Caezar

 

[iVersa]

I used to get bad pains in my wrist and it used to click when I moved it, about a month after switching to using a Mighty Mouse all my wrist pains vanished.

And now a year on I still have no problems at all. But everyones hand/wrists are different so it may be the cause of yours.

Its flatter than most mice though which for me personally is a good thing.

 

[AndyR]

The problem disappeared the day I started to use Logitech's Marble Mouse (an inexpensive track-ball). With the the Marble Mouse I now use the thumb instead of the index to left click. My pain is entirely gone.

This is what I got at work and solved the problem. Think i may need to get one at home as well to try and help the problem.

 

[Keebler]

This is what I got at work and solved the problem. Think i may need to get one at home as well to try and help the problem.

andy..i had bad wrist pain and was really worried about CT so i bought logitech cordless trackman wheels for my 2 work computers and when i worked in the office, 1 for there too.

i'm able to place the mouse where i want to go and then, my wrist does not move. in rare cases, my thumb gets sore, but that is after very long periods of usage. i simply use another finger for a short period of time and then i'm good to go.

the result...not a second of wrist pain since i switched the thumb. my wife was also starting to get signs of CT so she switched to a thumb trackball (same mouse)... no more problems.

 

[Caezar]

This is what I got at work and solved the problem. Think i may need to get one at home as well to try and help the problem.

I bought two Marble mice. One for home, one for the office.

 

[MacBoobsPro]

Im getting used to a Wacom tablet at work as I am having pains too. Sometimes quite bad. The tablet has helped but its still not totally gone away because my arm is generally in the same position.

The pain affects different areas at different times ranging from individual fingers upto entire forearm and palm of hand.

 

[whooleytoo]

Its flatter than most mice though which for me personally is a good thing.

Likewise, I find flat, non "Ergonomic" mice far more comfortable and easier on the wrists in the long term.