Mouse

Peerzy · 20 Feb 2012 at 14:16

Need to get a mouse for someone who has having a lot of issues with her fingers. They swell up because of how many hours a week she is using the PC for (50+) and cause her great pain.

I was considering something like a Kensington Orbit Optical Trackball or some sort of trackpad?

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what will minimize the pain to her fingers.

Maybe something like a laptop trackpad thing but A4 size, and able to use a pen instead. Is this a graphics tablet or can they just be used for drawing?

lrlcr · 20 Feb 2012 at 14:19

I suggest a doctor, and figure out why it's happening rather than randomly swapping hardware.

Possibly something as simple as a seating movement or a pad with wrist support could alleviate the symptoms. It might be to do with all sorts of things and without knowing why it's happening recommendations are a bit pointless.

Peerzy · 20 Feb 2012 at 14:43

lrlcr said:
I suggest a doctor, and figure out why it's happening rather than randomly swapping hardware.

Possibly something as simple as a seating movement or a pad with wrist support could alleviate the symptoms. It might be to do with all sorts of things and without knowing why it's happening recommendations are a bit pointless.

She's been to a doctor, the fingers swell up due to constantly clicking the mouse for 12 hours a day 5 days a week and she's not the youngest.

She uses a 50p plastic crud mouse at the moment so I need to get her the most confortable input device that ideally puts as little strain on the fingers as possbile.

lrlcr · 20 Feb 2012 at 14:55

I can understand your frustration but unfortunately ergonomics aren't quite that simple:

My biomechanics of the hand isn't great, but i doubt a trackball will help as the clicking motion will remain.

With swelling my thoughts would be that the wrist is the source. Perhaps start with a pad and wrist support (ie one of those mouse pads with the gel cushion).

Look at how her hands sit when she is naturally holding them, then get a mouse that mirrors that. My hands sit pretty closed, and i type with really quite closed palms; I prefer more domed mice that suit my claw style grip. The G500 suits me, and I regret swapping mine out for a rat9 which isn't deep enough for me and gives me trigger tendinitis. It is where I'd start if she doesn't get on with cheapo mic as they tend to be of the flatter smaller shape and perhaps something bigger will fit her hand better.

At the end of the day it all comes down to ergonomics, she needs to make sure that her arms fall naturally on the desk (ie elbows level with the surface so the forearm sits on it) and sets the monitor height from there (to prevent eye/neck/back issues) and then can use the mouse with as straight a wrist a possible.

Peerzy · 20 Feb 2012 at 14:58

Will look into all that, will order her a decent pad and support.

She mentions it's the clicking and scrolling that cause her issues, but think of the cheapest piece of crud mouse ever and I can see why - especially at her age and doing it all day every day.

lrlcr · 20 Feb 2012 at 15:01

If it's clicking and scrolling then almost certainly not enough palm support for her hand shape.

Try getting her to sort her seat height and the wrist pad, but you'll probably end up going for a fatter mouse.

Zero Pope · 20 Feb 2012 at 15:06

If it's at work this is happening shouldn't they be offering to sort out something to make things easier for her? When I had problems with my shoulder and carpal tunnel I got an ergonomic keyboard and a trackball.

Peerzy · 20 Feb 2012 at 15:09

Zero Pope said:
If it's at work this is happening shouldn't they be offering to sort out something to make things easier for her? When I had problems with my shoulder and carpal tunnel I got an ergonomic keyboard and a trackball.

This is at work and I'm the IT support so I'm trying to sort something for her.

How was the trackball and did it help?

sbothwell · 20 Feb 2012 at 15:23

Guy at work here had trouble with fine motor control, and he got a Kensington Expert Mouse (which is actually a trackball). Different problem I know but he reckoned the bigger buttons made it much easier for clicking, and the scroll ring made it much easier to scroll because you didn't have to bend a finger so much to get onto the scroll wheel which is in a really daft place on most mice if you use it a lot. They aren't cheap, but they do a cheaper version to try out the trackball concept first if you/she isn't sure (the wired Orbit I think is only about £15).