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Poker, RSI, and a good mouse
kapowblamz
Member Posts: 1,596
The first thing that I had was something up with my shoulder blade from constant forward extension. Stretching felt like it was working but I found out it was just compounding the problem. I had to order these stretch bands and eventually the problem mostly went away. It takes time tho. This video below is legit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdDqdrGMFBw
You haven't mentioned shoulder @mumsie but I thought I'd include it anyway.
My next problem was aching wrist and then it became aching forearm. The solution is, sadly, resting the arm for several weeks. That's going to be impossible for some people because they have to work so I eventually found that changing the type of mouse I use for prolonged periods and switching between them helped because it reduced the repetitive position of my arm.
So basically you have to try out all the different mouses etc and find 2 or 3 that you can get comfortable with and change between them. Here's the options I've found so far and my success.
The rollerball: This mouse is weird at first but you do get used to it. Some people swear by them, some not. I have one but almost never use it just because I prefer other options.
The trackpad: These are hit and miss. Some are plain rubbish and will frustrate. I found the best was the apple one which super expensive and then you have to pay a subscription for software to use it on Windows. This will be the best option for some people and I use it now and then. They're called Apple Magic Trackpad
The vertical ergonomic mouse: These are great and take less time to get used to. Amazon do a super cheap one. There are more expensive options that are definitely better. They put your hand in the handshake position as you use the mouse reducing wrist and forearm stress.
The slightly ergonomic mouse: This is my favourite. It's so precise and comfortable for me and if I didn't ever have wrist pain I would just use it all the time. It's kind of halfway between the handshake and standard flat mouse. It feels nice, for me anyway.
Last but not least was my saviour in the end.
The finger (dxt) mouse: This mouse totally changed how my arm was positioned and actually takes less time getting used to than you'd think. It is very expensive tho and their margin must be huge because it's tiny. It's very precise. You just use your fingers to move the mouse eliminating a lot of the stress entirely.
Conclusion: You have to find which of the above works for you. It can be an expensive process but if you buy on Amazon you can just send what doesn't work back until you find the right fit. It's trial and error.
It's important to pick 2 or maybe 3 to make sure you are changing the position of your wrist, arm and shoulder regularly.
If anyone wants links to where to buy them then let me know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdDqdrGMFBwYou haven't mentioned shoulder @mumsie but I thought I'd include it anyway.
My next problem was aching wrist and then it became aching forearm. The solution is, sadly, resting the arm for several weeks. That's going to be impossible for some people because they have to work so I eventually found that changing the type of mouse I use for prolonged periods and switching between them helped because it reduced the repetitive position of my arm.
So basically you have to try out all the different mouses etc and find 2 or 3 that you can get comfortable with and change between them. Here's the options I've found so far and my success.
The rollerball: This mouse is weird at first but you do get used to it. Some people swear by them, some not. I have one but almost never use it just because I prefer other options.
The trackpad: These are hit and miss. Some are plain rubbish and will frustrate. I found the best was the apple one which super expensive and then you have to pay a subscription for software to use it on Windows. This will be the best option for some people and I use it now and then. They're called Apple Magic Trackpad
The vertical ergonomic mouse: These are great and take less time to get used to. Amazon do a super cheap one. There are more expensive options that are definitely better. They put your hand in the handshake position as you use the mouse reducing wrist and forearm stress.
The slightly ergonomic mouse: This is my favourite. It's so precise and comfortable for me and if I didn't ever have wrist pain I would just use it all the time. It's kind of halfway between the handshake and standard flat mouse. It feels nice, for me anyway.
Last but not least was my saviour in the end.
The finger (dxt) mouse: This mouse totally changed how my arm was positioned and actually takes less time getting used to than you'd think. It is very expensive tho and their margin must be huge because it's tiny. It's very precise. You just use your fingers to move the mouse eliminating a lot of the stress entirely.
Conclusion: You have to find which of the above works for you. It can be an expensive process but if you buy on Amazon you can just send what doesn't work back until you find the right fit. It's trial and error.
It's important to pick 2 or maybe 3 to make sure you are changing the position of your wrist, arm and shoulder regularly.
If anyone wants links to where to buy them then let me know.
Comments
Terrific post Mr @kapowblamz
The pen mouse: I can see why these would absolutely work for some because your stance will be so different to a normal mouse.
I periodically get wrist/forearm aches.
I changed to a vertical ergonomic mouse a few months back.
No aches since but too early to know if it's made a difference,
Time will tell.
Is similar to frozen shoulder but the limited range isn't the shoulder, it's the upper arm.
If I did the stretch as in the diagram the it's the bicept in the upper arm that hurts not the shoulder or wrist.
But the stretches ease the issue .
I had frozen shoulder 8 + years ago when I got run over by a moving vehicle, I'm familiar with stretches to improve ranges. (Unintended poker terminology)
I'll be trying one off these contraptions when I work out which will suit me best
Thanks for the info.
Used to laugh years ago when OH came in and told us how to sit on a chair properly. Not any more.
Really good info here. Thank you!
From my (much lesser) experience, there are other variables that can make more difference than the mouse. I'd highly recommend a sit/stand desk. If replacing the desk isn't an option then you can get tabletops from amazon that are reasonably priced and sit on top of flat surfaces. It's amazing how much of a difference it makes to comfort, and focus in general, being able to change your height by a few inches when these problems arise. If you couple this with a chair that has more levers than just the up/down one then the options are pretty much endless.
Other than mouses, which is the correct plural of a computer mouse and I had to google, then I use an arm rest. I couldn't be without one now. They just clamp onto your desk, or there's a chair version, and once you've opened the box you'll have it on in under 30 seconds.