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

The Smartfish ErgoMotion Laser Mouse

Today arrived the Smartfish Ergomotion Mouse which is a original approach to ergonomic mice. The Kool-aid they’re handing out is that there’s no fixed position device that you can use day after day that cures repetitive stress injuries. Instead they created a mouse that pivots freely as you use it, enabling a wide range of motion during use. I drank the Kool-aid & gave it a try.

First off the mouse is surprisingly well build, especially given it’s the 1st product from the startup company. There’s no springs to encourage the mouse into any one position, it’s entirely free flowing. The scroll wheel has a nice grip and feels solid with a slight & appropriate amount of resistance. The mouse is somewhere in the middle in terms of weight.

Only problem I have is with the wireless reception on this guy. Every 30 seconds or so it drops signal for about a second. Given we have about a dozen WIFI signals, 3 air tunes channels, and 50 wireless mice this isn’t the 1st wireless device to have trouble at work.

Update: I remedied the issue by plugging the USB dongle into the keyboard, putting it a little closer to the mouse. There’s not been a single hiccup since.

Ergonomically I think they may be on to something here. On my 1st day of use it was awkward for about 3 hours before I got settled in. Now I find my hand subtly rocking side to side as I move my hand. It seems there’s a few different ways to hold it, and I’m still trying to figure out which way works the best. I’ll need more time to make a final call at which point I’ll update the site, but I’ll leave on this line. Looking at the pictures of the mouse online had me skeptical, but now that I got one in my hand I’m starting to warm up to it.

Update July 3, 2010 (1.5months later): To be completely honest, the jury is still out on this mouse and I’ll need more time to make a final call. I’ve found it to be far less annoying than the Handshoe mouse as far as precision goes. It strikes an excellent compromise between promoting movement in your wrist and having fine grained control. I think if I worked in Photoshop all day or played FPS games I’d throw it against the wall, but as a computer programmer it suites my needs.

My only beef with the mouse is it’s so freeform there’s no resistance whatsoever, no springs, nothing. The mouse plops to wherever you put it with no fight. I think I’d almost prefer a very subtle spring pushing me towards the typical mouse position, just enough that the mouse would hold a normal position if my hand wasn’t on it. That said, this mouse is in a category of it’s own an and I can’t wait to see the next product Smartfish puts out. In the mean time I’m sticking with this mouse.

I’ll leave you with the shameless promotional video:

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!

We’re taking another look at the Microsoft curve keyboard and accompanying mouse. The new curve is quite an overhaul over the older model and seems to be targeted more for mass consumption in terms of design. Whereas the old model was a split keyboard, the 6000 takes the curve and applies it to a standard keyboard layout. The result is a keyboard that looks less exotic and has a lower learning curve. Call it a standard keyboard with a bit of a curve to the keys.

In terms of ergonomics, I feel like this keyboard takes a small step backwards over it’s predecessor in order to appeal to a broader audience. To our more conservative readers, this keyboard presents a cheap & easy upgrade in your ergonomics without having to commit to getting used to an wildly different shape/layout. Most of the time when I try a new keyboard shape my typing speed is stunted while I get used to it, but the MS Curve 6000 is so close to a normal keyboard that the affect was very minimal. Being that it’s not a split keyboard and that the keys are flat; it’s less foreign at the cost of being less ergonomic.

Lets talk about the keys. Millions of key presses eventually add up, so the quality of the buttons themselves becomes important. I can’t find a spec for KOH on this guy, but I will say it has a pretty soft touch. What I really like about these keys over your standard keyboard is that the key press is somewhat dampened. Old school 1990’s clicky keyboards had a distinct click sound and they somewhat jarred your finger a little on each key press. With the MS Curve, the kickback is very smooth and minimal by design.. That means less stress on you finger joints and your muscles.

The mouse is quite comfortable, although, slightly larger than your average mouse. The neat part about this mouse is the design of the thumb rest. If you want to you can position you hand so that you don’t even touch the mouse pad, thus controlling it with your hand instead of your wrist. There’s a small extrusion to rest your thumb on. Some ergonomic mice are designed around this principal like the handshoe mouse. You can also place your wrist on the mouse pad and move the mouse with your fingers like most people do. The shape of the mouse works both ways. My generic advise is to change up your input devices or how you use them throughout your day to minimize the repetitiveness. This mouse works out fine in both positions which is uncommon and kinda awesome.

The other features on the mouse are great. The click is exactly what you expect from a typical mouse and the scroll wheel is butter smooth. Some mice have a lot of resistance on the scroll, but this one has almost no drag. While this mouse was designed with ergonomics in mind, it’s not quite at the level of specialization as some of the other mice we talk about on this site. I’d say it’s better than 85% of the standard mice out there.

While I try to keep reviews focused on the RSI aspects, I will say that while the keyboard works great on a Mac, the mouse get’s hung up from time to time. In windows it works flawlessly, so it’s probably just an issue with the Mac driver.

So, in conclusion.. If you’re looking for a cheap wireless keyboard & mouse setup that’s mildly ergonomically minded, you’re looking at a decent product. It’s easy to learn, better than your average peripherals, and it’s mass produced to the point of being very cheap. Amazon’s selling em for $63 a pop. If you have advanced repetitive stress injuries, you should be looking at some of the more specialized keyboards & mice out there. If you don’t have problems yet and want to be preventative or if your discomfort is light, then this is a decent choice for a keyboard. It’s cheap, has an easy learning curve, and it looks pretty normal sitting on your desk.

Several mice have attempted a design where the entire hand is supported by the mouse, therefore never touching the mousepad. The idea is that supporting the weight of your hand on your wrist and moving the mouse with your fingers can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome because your wrist is bent during use. The majority of designs on the market up til now felt like they were brewed in someone’s basement and manufactured with a little VC capital. The handshoe mouse on the other hand is the real deal, well made, and created by some researchers at a couple universities.

The first couple hours with the handshoe mouse are a little awkward, but afterward it starts to feel a bit more natural. It’s the first mouse we’ve heard of that comes in 3 different sizes for those with differently sized hands. When making a mouse that’s so highly contoured to your hand, I can see where providing different sizes of a mouse is important. I got the medium sized one.

One mouse I’ll compare it to is the Evoluent Vertical Mouse. The handshoe mouse is halfway between a normal mouse and a vertical mouse in that it tilts your hand about 30 degrees to the side. I found the angle to be just right. If fits my hand pretty much like a glove; more so than any other mouse I’ve ever tried. The upper part of your thumb kind of has 2 options for where it can go. The curve for your thumb is a little steep downwards, so you can place you thumb into the little nook or you can hold it straight. It’s the difference of having your thumb bent at a slight angle or straight, and both feel pretty good.

The takeaway is that the curvature of the mouse feels great. It holds my hand very close to the position my hands wrest naturally when sitting in a chair. They did their homework.

With the Evoluent vertical mouse, the bottom side of your pinky finger replaces your wrist’s job of providing an anchor for moving the mouse with the rest of your hand. The big jump for the handshoe mouse is that there is no anchor. Your hand is completely supported by the mouse. Your fingers have more dexterity than your arm in fine movements, so when using only your arm, your level of control is reduced. I wouldn’t recommend it to FPS gamers, but for day to day business people, I’d say it’s definitely livable. I had to reduce my mouse sensitivity a little bit in the computer.

The buttons are very solid and have a nice click to them. If you have severe ‘trigger finger’ then you might want something with a softer click. I will say the right button is softer than the left, so it might be a manufacturing inconsistency. The scroll wheel is the same story. While it’s has an excellent feel and is very high quality, it doesn’t exactly glide like butter like some mice. This is a mouse oriented towards relieving wrist pains & hand aches more so than trigger finger. For people with both trigger finger and wrist problems, you might consider this mouse in conjunction with perhaps a foot pedal for the mouse click.

The verdict? I like it a lot. The build quality is excellent and it has a nice weight to it. The downside is that it costs $130 which puts it in a whole different price bracket from other ergonomic mice. I think that for people who have wrist and hand pains in their mousing hand that this mouse should definitely be considered. Although expensive, it’s a lot cheaper than hand surgery, and the difference between it and a normal mouse is night and day.

Update: It’s now been 3 months since I initially wrote this post. So far I think this mouse takes the crown in effectiveness against RSI. My wrist pains have mostly subsided and my fingers aren’t cramping like they used to. It strikes a great balance between a vertical & horizontal mouse. I’m starting to think there’s something concrete here, like this mouse might be the magic bullet. It’s pretty funky & gets a lot of comments from my coworkers, but if you’re not afraid to be different and you’re serious about your RSI, then this mouse should be near the top of your list.

Our expectations were pretty low for the usb heated mouse and rightfully so. Our theory for reviewing this mouse is to ask the question, “if heating pads help your muscles, does a heated mouse help your hand if you have repetitive stress injuries?” We put that theory to the test, and we were rather disappointed.

First off, the build quality is horrible. It’s light weight cheap plastic, and the mouse buttons kept getting stuck. It’s basically an unusable mouse because the buttons don’t respond well. For example, I’ll try to click on something and once I lift my finger, it doesn’t let up. It leaves me wondering, “did they test this thing before mass manufacturing?”

Lets talk about the heating element. It’s a small element in the middle that doesn’t get very warm at all. The heat is an on/off switch so it’s not like there’s adjustments to be made. I found the temperature to be luke warm, and overall a disappointment.

While I wont totally discount the idea of a heated mouse providing comfort to people with RSIs, in this case the mouse is such a poor execution that it’s just a waist of money. The poor quality of the buttons contradicts any benefits that the heat it provides might have. Sorry, the review stops at that. If I go crazy trying to use it after 5 minutes, it has failed. It’s only perk is that it only costs $23. I’m afraid being cheap doesn’t justify being useless.

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.

The SteelKeys 6g keyboard is a nitch keyboard designed for gamers as an extremely high quality keyboard with gold plated connectors, solid metal mounting surface, and a very nice 59.5 grams per key push. RSI Stuff asks, does all this stuff make a difference for people who suffer from RSI? We gave it a 3 month trial to see..

Let me start by saying that as an old school computer user, I really want to like this keyboard. It’s very reminiscent of early 90’s clunky keyboards, before membrane based keyboards became popular. Many people call this ‘Clicky’, which old school geeks love. Each keypress makes a distinct sound and touch, feeling very responsive, and fulfilling. That’s what this keyboard is; an very luxurious and updated version of old school ps2 keyboards.

One of the important numbers to consider when buying an ergonomic keyboard is how many grams it takes to push a key, known as key on force (KOF). SteelKeys rates at 59.5, which is about the perfect number. Keyboards range from 40-120 KOF, but anything below 55 is very uncommon because it would feel too sensitive. At 59.5, this keyboard has the perfect feel to it.

Nostalgia aside, for someone who suffers from RSI, this keyboard did not do the trick for me. First off, it has the standard straight keyboard layout which notoriously bends your wrists inwards. While the KOF is 59.5, the backing is all metal, and the keys are rather ‘clicky’, which for me created a whole new problem:

I gave the keyboard a 3 month trial. Up til now my RSI was focused on my wrists & forarms, but this keyboard introduced arthritis in my fingers’ joints which is new for me. I’m 25 years old btw. My theory is that the metal backing combined with the old school clickiness of 90’s keyboards causes a jolt to your finger with every key push. Those jolts add up, and eventually you have a problem in your hands. Once I realized what was happening I switched keyboards back over to the logitech g15, and the problem went away after 3 weeks.

It’s a shame because the build quality from Steelkeys just so phenominal. Compared to a standard QWERTY keyboard, I would take the SteelKeys any day of the week. It beats any OEM keyboard I’ve seen.

In conclusion, this keyboard was created for another nitch market (gamers). After my 3 month trial I find it hard to recommend it to someone who suffers from RSI. Simply put, 90’s style clunky keyboards just aren’t good for people with hands sensitive to RSI.

If RSI is not an issue for you, I’m sure you would find it to be a very nice keyboard; the build quality is incredible which is hard to ignore. If RSI is an issue, for the $100 price point, there’s plenty of other keyboards you should try out first that are more tailored towards your needs than this keyboard.