Need mouse with soft click for RSI

[Slowhand]

Hi everyone, I'm trying to find a new mouse (or other input device) to help me heal from an Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) in my right arm, from elbow to shoulder. I've been using a Logitech G500 for the last 4 or 5 years. As a matter of fact I'm on my third one. lol

I love the layout and feel of the G500 mouse, but this is the second RSI I've gotten. I'm sure it's because I game far too many hours in a day. I play games like, Borderlands, Unreal Tournament, and when I feel like chillin I play Civ 5.

Nonetheless, my arm still ends up hurting. So I'm looking for suggestions on another input device. I think I'm squeezing too hard when I click - left or right - but I need to find a soft, easier-to-click mouse.

Any suggestions?

 

[DigDog]

yes, i suggest you take RSI seriously. stop playing and use the PC as little as possible.

if you wait, it will go away in a while. if you don't, you can really injure yourself.

 

[Slowhand]

yes, i suggest you take RSI seriously. stop playing and use the PC as little as possible.

if you wait, it will go away in a while. if you don't, you can really injure yourself.

Thanks DigDog. I appreciate your feedback.

 

[DigDog]

look, i can give you plenty of good advice regarding the size and shape of the mouse, posture, and other factors; but i dont want you to start thinking that RSI is only due to these factors, and getting a big/small mouse meaning you can ignore the pain.

RSI is a very complicated issue. the best thing to do is, to not get rsi. when you experience pain, stay away from the pc.

as for not getting it back once it's gone, then get a mouse of appropriate size for your hands, find a upright posture, don't work too long, and try to stay away from repetitive work.

 

[Slowhand]

Thanks again. I wonder if I switch to my left hand to use the mouse - it being perfectly healthy - and not use my right arm at all, and let it heal, could I go on using the pc?

 

[Hugh Jass]

I'm sensing in you an over attachment to the PC and gaming. May even go so far as to call it an obsession.

Just chill on it for a while and let yourself heal. The games will still be there later.

 

[Slowhand]

I'm sensing in you an over attachment to the PC and gaming. May even go so far as to call it an obsession.

Just chill on it for a while and let yourself heal. The games will still be there later.

That's good advice. I don't think I have an obsession with the PC and gaming, but rather I have a deep love for gaming. It has been a therapeutic outlet for many years, but not something that I couldn't take a break from. I'm just seeing what my options are. But good point, that the games will be there later.

Thanks.

 

[Hugh Jass]

No problem.

 

[Imaginer]

Are you lifting your entire arm off the desk frequently? do you have not a way to rest your forearm or is there a mismatch from your desk to seating height that forces you to elevate your elbow (possibly above the desk surface height)? If your forearm isn;t comfortable in that manner, being elevated over time or in a decline, then it would induce stress.

These are also factors in the repetitive stress of a drag cursor periphery. Since you mentioned elbow to shoulder, I am giving these possibilities to consider. It is also your seating over time, as one may tend to shift or not at all, fixated but just the arm making it uncomfortable over time.

Another, is frequent swinging of your arms to move a drag cursor mouse (either on a desk surface/mousepad) if the arm isn't entirely resting. Something that you may look into is not a mouse, but alternative cursor drag peripherals (ones that doesn't stress much movement of the entire arm or forearm). It is one of the reasons I am glad I went with a thumb trackball.

It doesn't help that many gaming accessory peripherals are all mice, not trackballs or other devices to reduce the strain.

I stand by this periphery.

Logitech M570 Trackball

And a reviewer's take on repetitive induced stress.

This mouse is great for tennis elbow! It really helps relieve pain associated with tennis-elbow type RIS (often mistaken as "carpal tunnel" by those who haven't done their research).

I'm working towards a PhD in biomechanics, and already have degrees in physics and biomedical engineering. I also have taught college anatomy/physiology two or three times, so I do know a bit about both ergonomics and how the forearm works. This mouse allows the hand to rest comfortably somewhere between prone and supine, (palm-down and palm-up, respectively), a huge plus and advantage over all trackballs that don't use the thumb to move the ball.

More importantly (since one could just stick an 'ambidextrous' trackball on a slanted pad for ergonomics purposes), it also doesn't require repetitive flexion and extension of one's index through ring fingers, (phelanges 2 thru 5); only one's thumb. Since flexion and extension of these fingers involves sheathed, pully-like tendons which run almost the entire length of the forearm, the potential for RIS with a other trackball mice is much higher. The thumb on the other hand, moves with mostly its own, parochial tendons and musculature, which gives the forearm a break and reduces RIS from both carpal tunnel and tennis elbow.

As a caveat, let it be known that I have never had more than a mild case of carpal tunnel, in contrast to my pretty serious tennis elbow. Moreover, I have never used an ambidextrous trackball mouse (since, in my opinion, it is less well-suited to relieve tennis elbow symptoms).

I WISH THEY MADE A LEFT-HAND VERSION. I would buy it. Unfortunately, I cannot find a thumb-actuated trackball for the left hand anywhere. This would greatly help all people with RIS by allowing them to switch hands to give either side a break (while still experiencing the unique benefits of a thumb-actuated trackball mouse).

PS One MUST switch hands after hours of mouse use if one does not want RIS to spread to other areas of the body (like the back, etc).

 

[Slowhand]

Are you lifting your entire arm off the desk frequently? do you have not a way to rest your forearm or is there a mismatch from your desk to seating height that forces you to elevate your elbow (possibly above the desk surface height)? If your forearm isn;t comfortable in that manner, being elevated over time or in a decline, then it would induce stress.

These are also factors in the repetitive stress of a drag cursor periphery. Since you mentioned elbow to shoulder, I am giving these possibilities to consider. It is also your seating over time, as one may tend to shift or not at all, fixated but just the arm making it uncomfortable over time.

Another, is frequent swinging of your arms to move a drag cursor mouse (either on a desk surface/mousepad) if the arm isn't entirely resting. Something that you may look into is not a mouse, but alternative cursor drag peripherals (ones that doesn't stress much movement of the entire arm or forearm). It is one of the reasons I am glad I went with a thumb trackball.

It doesn't help that many gaming accessory peripherals are all mice, not trackballs or other devices to reduce the strain.

I stand by this periphery.

Logitech M570 Trackball
.

Thank you so much for your post. Maybe we're on to something. Now that you mention it, I didn't have RSI that I know of, or not much. But then I started playing this real time strategy game called Civilization 5. I'd never played a game like it before....ever! However, I really love the game, but I have to do a ton of sweeping left, right, up, and down to locate certain points on the map quickly, but I just now realized that after I started playing that game I got the RSI pretty bad. I bet you if I were to stop playing it for a week or two, I'd heal right up.

Anyway, thanks. How long do you think it would take for me to transition from a Logitech G500 mouse to the trackball unit you listed above. By the way, I looked at it and it looks pretty sweet!

 

[Imaginer]

Thank you so much for your post. Maybe we're on to something. Now that you mention it, I didn't have RSI that I know of, or not much. But then I started playing this real time strategy game called Civilization 5. I'd never played a game like it before....ever! However, I really love the game, but I have to do a ton of sweeping left, right, up, and down to locate certain points on the map quickly, but I just now realized that after I started playing that game I got the RSI pretty bad. I bet you if I were to stop playing it for a week or two, I'd heal right up.

Anyway, thanks. How long do you think it would take for me to transition from a Logitech G500 mouse to the trackball unit you listed above. By the way, I looked at it and it looks pretty sweet!

Give or take two to three weeks of regular use. It can be an adjustment period because the mind and muscle memory is not used to such a behavior.

If however, one uses a laptop trackpad with a thumb, then the transition may not be too terribly difficult.

 

[Throckmorton]

Thank you so much for your post. Maybe we're on to something. Now that you mention it, I didn't have RSI that I know of, or not much. But then I started playing this real time strategy game called Civilization 5. I'd never played a game like it before....ever! However, I really love the game, but I have to do a ton of sweeping left, right, up, and down to locate certain points on the map quickly, but I just now realized that after I started playing that game I got the RSI pretty bad. I bet you if I were to stop playing it for a week or two, I'd heal right up.

Anyway, thanks. How long do you think it would take for me to transition from a Logitech G500 mouse to the trackball unit you listed above. By the way, I looked at it and it looks pretty sweet!

What mouse DPI do you use? Try higher DPI so you don't have to move your whole arm

Then again that might be harder on your wrist and fingers

 

[Imaginer]

What mouse DPI do you use? Try higher DPI so you don't have to move your whole arm

Then again that might be harder on your wrist and fingers

A higher DPI mouse would not help the concern that there is the elbow elevated to support your cursor drag, thus straining the upper arm and shoulder over time. It may minimize a bit in wrist and forearm, but they still act on the shoulder and elbow - if the whole arm isn't resting comfortably or again, the desk + arm rest + seating height all do not match to the person.

To REALLY fix the situation would require the arm being entirely stationary and resting upon cursor dragging action, hence I made a suggestion towards a thumb trackball. This definitely applies to prolonged cursor drag pointer usages (i.e. gaming for one). Not many are made that are decent (save the one linked above) and most certainly there are no gaming ones either.

Some things that many PC gamers do not even consider at all (just emphasize looking at raw numbers i.e. DPI rather than catering to one's well being).

There is also neck strain from looking at a monitor height mismatch as well. But that is another topic dealing with monitor stands.

 

[Throckmorton]

A higher DPI mouse would not help the concern that there is the elbow elevated to support your cursor drag, thus straining the upper arm and shoulder over time. It may minimize a bit in wrist and forearm, but they still act on the shoulder and elbow - if the whole arm isn't resting comfortably or again, the desk + arm rest + seating height all do not match to the person.

To REALLY fix the situation would require the arm being entirely stationary and resting upon cursor dragging action, hence I made a suggestion towards a thumb trackball. This definitely applies to prolonged cursor drag pointer usages (i.e. gaming for one). Not many are made that are decent (save the one linked above) and most certainly there are no gaming ones either.

Some things that many PC gamers do not even consider at all (just emphasize looking at raw numbers i.e. DPI rather than catering to one's well being).

There is also neck strain from looking at a monitor height mismatch as well. But that is another topic dealing with monitor stands.

I mouse at 3200 dpi and I rest my wrist on a bead filled wristrest, and put my elbow on the chair arm. So my arm is stationary aside from my wrist and hand

 

[Chipfiref]

Ah Civ 5 and RSI...

I played the game every day for 3 weeks and did not seem to get any significant RSI, but I can get RSI from just using the computer for a wide variety of use cases.


How to improve playing of Civ 5, IMHO

- use a good mouse for your hand size - for me I have a G9x with added weights. It is wide and stable and seems to help.
- get a 30" monitor 2660 x 1440p - this way you can see more of the map and have less need to make frequent, wide mouse movements. Also this gives better screen real estate for all use cases.


The biggest RSI-inducing factor for me seems to be where I extend my arm too far from and/or at the wrong height on the surface. The mouse itself does not seem to me to be the critical factor. A track ball can really help from what I hear, not sure exactly what it does except to stablize the arm in one position. I am afraid I might hurt my thumb joint if I used one too much

 

[Imaginer]

I am afraid I might hurt my thumb joint if I used one too much

Your thumb is a lot more resilient and the movement of the thumb on a thumb trackball pretty much mimics any gripping behaviors one would use a thumb for anyways, so your thumb would be already used to the ball and socket motions.

Also, your thumb does not have the acting weight of the entire arm versus a shoulder with the acting weight of arm and elbow hovering, moment, and movement. Your thumb is also naturally resting on a thumb trackball as well.