Hi Marlon,

Thanks for writing in.

I used to be a big fan of the Evoluent Vertical Mouse. Having suffered from wrist pains, the change in hand position made a huge impact within just a couple weeks of switching. I even gave the mouse a raving review, but after a year of use my opinion changed. I came to 2 realizations:

1) A large change in hand position can be very positive. However, long term I discovered it was the mere act of changing things up that made the difference. It had less to do with one position being better than the other.

2) I noticed after about a year that relief was temporary and that the pains merely shifted to my forearms and shoulder. My theory is that with vertical mice you don’t have as strong of an anchor point (your wrist on the desk) to do fine hand movements from. Instead your arm starts doing a lot of fine motor control to move the mouse around. I now think that vertical mice are flawed because it’s the exact opposite of how humans are designed. Your arm should handle the big movements and your hand should handle the finer movements. Think big muscles with rough control vs little muscles with intricate control.

I switched to the Smartfish Ergomotion mouse about ~8 months ago and so far it’s been my preferred mouse. It’s a tad more awkward to get used to, but it doesn’t take too long. There’s no one locked in position so you still get a range of movement which is good. It has the added benefit however that you can maintain a good anchor point on the desk so you’re not overworking your arms to avoid working your hand.

In my opinion if you’re having a flair up the vertical mouse would provide the most drastic change in position giving short-medium term relief. However, I think that the concept behind the Ergomotion mouse is more solid for long term prevention.

Hope that helps

- Drew

A very small fraction of people who call their discomfort carpal tunnel syndrome actually have it. The book describes the tests doctors use to diagnose it in a manner which you can do yourself (and save some time). Most often it’s repetitive stress injuries stemming from overuse, lack of movement, and a dozen other factors. More importantly, they talk about every facet of how to treat it. I’d call it a multifaceted approach that uses a triage of behavioral, lifestyle, and workstation changes to make. They make no claim there’s any one silver bullet. Instead they discuss the entire arsenal of treatments and it’s up to you to pick a few & try them. They do talk about the carpal tunnel surgery you can get and why it’s generally not what you want to do.

As the author of this site I’d like to say I’m pretty well versed on the subject, but I still gleaned a lot of good information from the book and would highly recommend it. A coworker told me about it several years ago when he saw me wearing a wrist brace (I was 24 at the time). Typing & mousing was constantly painful for me to the point that it threatened my career which was just getting started. After reading, I realized my lifestyle of sitting at a computer 10 hours a day with zero exercise or stretching wasn’t going to cut it long term. I joined a rock climbing gym because it makes exercising fun and is also a very intense workout on the forearms & hands. I also take frequent breaks before & during work to do some of the stretches they talk about in the book. That, coupled with improving my work-station’s ergonomics have completely turned my situation around. I’ll always be in “recovery” mode, but I no longer need a wrist brace and I’m not in pain anymore. For me, it took a little educating myself to motivate me to do what had to be done.

If you’ve read this far, go a little further. Amazon’s selling copies used for ~$5. http://www.amazon.com/Carpal-Syndrome-Therapy-Computer-Professionals/dp/0965510999/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1280670291&sr=8-1-fkmr1

Step 1) What the hell is deep tissue?

Deep tissue massage is designed to relieve severe tension in the muscle connective tissue (fascia). This type of massage focuses on muscles below the ones on the surface and is often recommended for people with consistent pain. Computer use in generally pretty repetitive, so I bet it hurts in the same couple places pretty often right?

Step 2) Find the right therapist

You may need to try more than one therapist to find the right person, but having tried a couple dozen, I know what to look for.

First off, men & women are equal, so pick whichever you prefer. I’ve heard people say I want the strength of a man, but that’s just a stereotype. The deepest, most painful, (yet very constructive) massage I’ve ever lived through came from a 110lb middle aged woman skinny as a rail. It’s all about skills.

Look for someone who specializes in sports injuries and you’ll likely find they’re able to do wonders for a typing injury b/c they’re experienced in focusing on a troublesome muscle group. I’ve also noticed a lot of therapists are also yoga instructors or personal trainers. After one massage with a yoga instructor was done she showed me the yoga poses I needed to do for the muscles she saw as problem areas. Likewise the personal trainer taught me exercises to strengthen my back to avoid my chest muscles curling my shoulders inwards. I wasn’t charged extra as they only needed 2 minutes to show me what to do, but those are nice perks.

Avoid the day spas & resorts like the plague. Anything that smells corporate is bad. What happens is they provide all this atmosphere like the steam room, pool, stone walls, blah blah blah. Do you want pampering or do you want your muscles to stop hurting? All that stuff has overhead = company takes bigger cut = underpaid therapists = working more hours = an overworked therapist giving you a massage. Sounds great.

Instead, look for independents. Quite often I’ve seen 2-6 therapists share a simple generic office (you see that a lot in the dental & medical industry as well). Think business. If your therapist has enough loyal clients to go out on their own w/o relying on the resort throwing them work, they probably have more talent.

Step 3) What to expect

A good massage isn’t necessarily a pleasant one. The industry calls it a fluff & buff to give a light massage that feels good but doesn’t really last. That’s pampering. A good massage may actually make you sore for a couple days, but that’s good.

It’s important to communicate with your therapist. A lot of people get on the table and are scared to say push harder. Thing is, that makes the therapists job harder b/c they’re not mind readers. They don’t want to hurt you, so you need to communicate what pressure is right for you. The protocol is you can talk during a massage and likewise you should say what you want.

Step 4) Pay up

Prices vary greatly depending on location & where you’re going, but I’ve got some general guidelines to give you a ballpark on what this is gonna cost. I think 60 min is the ideal appointment for a 1st time visit with a therapist. A resort/spa is gonna probably go around 75-110/hr vs an independent will go 60-90/hr. Go independent, it’s cheaper and you’ll get a better massage.

The Apple Magic Mouse is definitely an innovative piece of hardware. Sadly, Apple doesn’t have the best reputation with creating ergonomic peripherals. Is the Magic Mouse any different?

The mouse is small, short, and symmetrical. Nearly every ergonomic mouse on the market is asymetrical and for good reason… It’s more natural! However that doesn’t bode too well for a multitouch mouse design. I tried one out for a couple weeks anyway.

Ergonomics aside I really enjoyed the mouse. The multitouch features are actually quite handy and natural. What makes Apple’s multitouch products feel so nice is that they have perfected the acceleration aspect. That means the faster you move, the faster the response, as well as having a small amount of inertia once you let up. The magic mouse is no exception. Of the people in my office, half of them fell in love with it the first time they used it, and the other half happily kept their old mouse. I think it’s a love or hate thing with this mouse, so if you can, make your way out to the apple store & try before you buy.

After a couple weeks I found that my index finger was cramping a bit from curling in towards my palm constantly. My wrist wasn’t very happy either from keeping it flush with the desk.

Given the symmetry I never intended to use it for longer than a couple weeks as an experiment. The party’s over and I’m back to using my trusty handshoe mouse.

1. Swap out your keyboard & mouse 3 times a day. This one comes from some Google engineers who have a daily rotation of peripherals. This forces your hands into more of a variety of hand positions which is quite beneficial. Remember, we’re trying to make what you do all day less repetitive.
2. Stretch more than just your forearms. A lot of problems higher up in the arm & shoulder areas manifest in other areas like your wrists (think about how acupuncture needles are placed in other parts of the body than the area in pain). A full range of stretching [yoga is excellent] in the upper body can make a big difference.
3. Non-smoking smoke breaks. You don’t have to be a smoker to have an excuse to step outside!
4. Pay attention to your posture when you go to sleep. Are you curled up into a ball or stacking 3 pillows for your head at night? Good posture increases circulation, which [in theory] helps you extremities heal. Sleep accounts for 1/3 of your day, so give it thought around the clock.
5. Create macros for two-key keyboard combinations. The fewer keys you press, the less stress on you fingers right? For example ctrl-C [copy], ctrlX [cut], ctrl-V [paste] can all be made single keystrokes by various keystroke macro programs out there, or by specialty keyboards such as the logitech g13/g15. We did a writeup on using the g15 to consolidate key combos to a single button here.
6. Looking directly forward, your eyes should be at the same level as the top of your monitor. Having your monitor too high strains your eyes & encourages you to bend you neck. Looking down is slightly more natural to your eyes, so raise or lower your monitor so the top is straight ahead. Don’t overdue it, less you bend your neck downwards.
7. Treat yourself to a deep tissue massage. Deep tissue is a type of massage where they really dig in and loosen up your muscles. Some massage therapists even specialize in treating repetitive stress injuries, so look around for one. They typically range from 50-80 dollars an hour. Even once or twice a month can make a huge difference in your comfort. The level of skill of a therapist can make just as big of a difference as finding a good doctor, so I’d suggest trying different people until you find someone who works for you. Also, don’t be afraid to communicate with your therapist during the massage about what’s working & what’s not.
8. Hit the hot tub or take a hot bath. What we’re going for is the heat applied to your body which is therapeutic for your muscles. Plus, it’s just a nice way to wind down. Stress is a contributor to muscles becoming tense. Plus, who doesn’t want to hit the hot tub?
9. If you have a medically diagnosed issue, you can often get your employer to spring for some nice amenities such as a hydrolic desk that lets you fluctuate from sitting to standing at the computer. Desks like this have buttons on the front that, within a few seconds, raise themselves up a few feet. A nice little switch up like this may be good for you body and switches things up a bit. Approaching your employer with your medical problem might also help you persuade them to buy you a better chair like a Herman Miller. Don’t underestimate the value of a good chair.

Leave us a comment about what made a big difference for you!

In the 90’s the answer to RSI was the microsoft natural keyboard which split the keyboard at an angle to avoid bending your wrists. Personally I felt it was such an extreme angle that it almost bent your wrists too much in the opposite direction. The curve keyboards are somewhere in the middle; a compromise between traditional keyboards and old school spilt keyboard layouts. Logitech has a very similar wave keyboard out as well.

Let me start by saying that the MS version has a built in wrist pad that is actually pretty decent. I’m not typically a fan of gel or rubber wrist pads, but this one has a certain build quality that is actually pretty nice.

As for the learning curve; compared to some of the more exotic layouts it is minimal. The touch typists among us will be able to pick up the curve and type right away. For me, I was somewhat error prone for about a week before I eventually adjusted to the shape of it. After that it was smooth sailing.

The question we ask here at RSIStuff is always, “is this the key to comfort from my repetitive stress injury?” It depends on the person, so lets discuss it..

Compared to a standard $10 keyboard, the curve is a fantastic improvement. The wrist pad is nice enough that I actually enjoyed having it there. The angle of the curve is a vast improvement over split keyboards from the 90’s. The two work together to provide a very natural hand position. The keys are easy to push which is a big plus.

I would say that for someone shopping for their first ergonomic keyboard who has minor discomfort should give it a try because at $40, It’s a serious bargain for an ergonomic keyboard considering some of the more exotic ergonomic keyboards out there cost several hundred dollars. If your RSI is more advanced, this keyboard may or may not help you. I say that because its layout is not drastically different from a normal keyboard; its more like a keyboard with a twist. People with advanced RSI should certainly consider it, but might also consider a more exotic keyboard layout that puts their hands in a very different position than what they’re used to.

For those with a very developed case of repetitive stress injury who have tried a couple of ergonomic keyboards before, don’t expect miracles from this keyboard. It’s modernized update to the natural keyboards. In my trial, I gave it 3 months. At first I really enjoyed the unique design and it was a huge help in my hand pain.

After some time passed, I found that it was not the cure-all for my hands & arms. At the end of my 3 month trial, I decided that the automation features of the logitech g15 were more beneficial (because it reduced the # of key presses) than the improved layout of the curve. However, that’s mostly due to the fact that my job has me doing nothing but editing code all day. If I were a writer, I would swing more towards the curve for long typing sessions.

My recommendation for people who’s keyboards cause them discomfort is to experiment and try various keyboards to see if they can find one that doesn’t cause them stress. Everyone is different and deciding if a keyboard is good for you can take months to decide. At this price point, this keyboard quite affordable and worth a try.