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RSI

Hello everyone,

I do hope there is some advice out there for me. I am a garden designer, and also a freelance Vectorworks technician for other designers and so therefore spend a lot of time on the laptop with my old regular PCLine scroll mouse! The last few weeks I have begun to notice a dull pain in my thumb joint, that, when I manipulate my thumb, is quite excruciating! So, two and two makes the beginning of RSI (I will of course be getting this checked and verified by the doc!).

What I am wondering is, has anyone else has suffered this, and what they have done to reduce this, or what have they replaced their regular mouse with. I have spent a lot of time surfing the net, and have been bamboozled with various different mouse types, and pads and pens, and ways to hold the mouse properly...but with a good ergonomic/rollerball mouse setting you back around on average £60, it is not something I can just randomly purchase without trying first....the cost implication can add up if I don't think about this carefully.

I have looked at the Logitech rollerball mouse, but wonder as it is my thumb that hurts, whether using a roller with that thumb would infact accaserbate the issue!

And are the small Wacom tablets big enough to use when drawing in VW and will it take a long time to get used to etc etc.

And can I re-train myself to not hold the mouse with my thumb (apparently we shouldn't be doing this! but old habits and all that!)...too many questions really! And probably not all with answers.

So, basically, have any of you experienced thumb joint pain, and what have you done or put in place to alleviate the symptoms!

Thank you.

Best,

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David J. Barici on September 26, 2011 at 7:04pm

Hello Bo,

Sorry to hear your hand hurts. I use a Wacom tablet and I like it. I can sit back, relax and enjoy drawing or mouseing which ever word works for you. I have 25 years experience using mouse driven computers and using the tablet makes it feel more natural. They are more expensive and seem strange at first but they add a dimension to computers that a mouse or roller ball can't. They have pressure sensitivity so if you use graphic paint programs you'll have control similar to a paint brush or pencil. I've used it now for over a year and with no pain. If you can save up, try to get one, you won't be sorry. Hope you feel better, and relax.

Dave

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Permalink Reply by Bo Cook on September 26, 2011 at 11:31pm

Thanks for your reply Dave. Which tablet do you use? Again, there are lots out there, even just in the Wacom range, and I am not sure what one is a good one to use with Vectorworks. And what size is your one?

I could so do without this! Long day's work ahead of me on the laptop working for someone else....so not much opportunity for resting!

Thanks

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Permalink Reply by David J. Barici on September 27, 2011 at 5:10am

I use the Intuos 3. The model you choose more depends on your purse. They all work well, just like a mouse and they come with a mouse to help if you need that certain feel If you have a deadline I would wait till you have time to get use to using a pen. The buttons on the pen are different than on a mouse so it feels strange at first but works well once you've used it for some time. It also has an on screen keyboard much like Ipads and smart phones have these days if you're so inclined.

Dave

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Permalink Reply by Bo Cook on October 4, 2011 at 9:42am

Thanks Dave. I will have a look.

Best,

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Permalink Reply by Charles Link on October 4, 2011 at 8:53am

You can search the tag 'ergonomic' to see earlier discussions and recommendations on this topic.

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Permalink Reply by Bo Cook on October 4, 2011 at 9:46am

Hi Charles,

Thanks for the advice. Infact it was the original egonomic mouse thread that prompted me to put up my request. I felt it was worth its own thread as arm/shoulder and thumb RSIs I assume are a result of different strains (mine maybe the way I hold my mouse) and I was hoping someone out there had suffered the pain the joint where the thumb joins the hand...sadly I seem to be the only one!

Thanks anyway.

Best,

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Permalink Reply by Charles Link on October 5, 2011 at 10:26pm

No, actually had thumb pain as well. It was after trying a couple of mice (wrist pain) and a stationary track ball (base of thumb pain) that I bit the bullet and plunked down the $$$ for a Wacom tablet. No chronic pain since. Every now and again I get a little sore, but it seems to happen only when I am putting in a few days of really long hours. It goes away when the work lets up. For me, I think it is better because I tend to make bigger movements with the stylus, moving my whole arm more than I did with a mouse, with which I made little movements at the wrist. Also, I think the stylus allows for a wider range of hand positions, eliminating some repetition. That's my experience, in any case. I also use an Intuos 3. The scroll wheel mouse which comes with it is superior in my mind for drawing in Sketchup and I pretty much only use it for that purpose, but I remember using it more often when I was getting used to the stylus. Good luck! I feel your pain!

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Permalink Reply by Robert Vatter on October 5, 2011 at 9:22pm

Wondering if you have ever had the pleasure of trying out Apples Magic mouse. It has no roller ball but performs with the sweep of a finger over the surface. They can also be programmed to perform as a two button mouse, and since it is wireless you can use it anywhere it is comfortable for you, like in your lap on a book or above and out to the side. Couple that with a new 27" quad core iMac and your design work will really come to life!

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Permalink Reply by Noel Hayes on October 5, 2011 at 10:23pm

We at Compu b suggest using Wacom Tablets. A couple of our customers with similar problems are using them all the time. If you can try to get a demo on one. If you are in Ireland we are running a roadshow in Dublin next wednesday. Also thisroadshow is running throughout UK and Scotland in the coming weeks, if you want to check out with Computers Unlimited who distribute both Vectorworks and Wacom. Hope this helps out with your problem.

Regards Noel

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Permalink Reply by Jim Duxbury on October 6, 2011 at 6:02am

LOGITECH PERFORMANCE MX - Your thumb rest on the side of the mouse. it is a fill your hand mouse which helps. most of the pain i had with mice was I had to pull my pointer and middle finger back to work the buttons, by filling your hand/palm with the mouse you move the mouse body with your whole hand. check your whole body for ergonomics I had to rest my whole arm from elbow to wrist on the desk.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Rice on October 6, 2011 at 11:43am

Hi Bo.

Sorry to hear you've possibly got the start of this condition too (though in a different place to me). As per my prior "ergonomic mouse" thread, I've found the Logitech M570 rollerball better than a standard mouse, but for roughly the same cost (about £60 UK), my "Aiptek" tablet & pen has really, really improved things. It's very comfortable to use, can replace the mouse for everything except thumb-wheel scrolling and has a large enough active area to allow me to move my arm, without it being so big it's impractical on my desk space.

Please do try to "test drive" a tablet - especially if you can borrow one for a few days from a colleague - you'll find it really easy, comfortable, accurate and, as David Barici says, the pressure-sensitive pen is really great if you use any other graphic paint programs (such as "Artrage").

Good luck ... Steve R.