Hazards of the trade. I literally get pains in the neck due to pinched nerves. Most likely due to an over extended mouse arm. I went to a physio who taped my shoulder and I could feel the tape pulling due to me dropping my shoulder while using my mouse. Using your mouse closer to your body is better. Also I have some exercises which strengthen my shoulders which helps reduce the pain. If comes and goes with the amount of exercises.
Am hoping playing the Xbox with the kinect will help me strengthen my shoulders. I'm wondering if we'll see geeks with arms like Conan in the future. Stretching and breaks as already suggested are important. On Wed, Jul 6, 2011 at 8:45 PM, Fredericks, Chris <[email protected]>wrote: > Hi Les, > > A number of years ago I started getting quite annoying pain in my upper > right arm and shoulder - not quite the same area as you. The occupational > health department of my employer at the time arranged for an ergonomics > health professional to visit me at my desk. Out of that he recommended a > track ball (to reduce repetitive arm movement), a document holder (to reduce > head movement) and some changes to the height of my chair and keyboard (to > correct my posture). > > My employer provided me a Logitech Trackman and a cheap plastic document > holder - the chair and keyboard platform were already adjustable. After > using the trackball for a short while, the pain went and has never returned > and I continued to use the trackball for a couple of years. I found the > document holder more trouble than it was worth and never really persisted > with it. Today I work from home and about a year ago I went back to using a > small wireless mouse that I keep as close to the edge of the keyboard as > possible and no pain has returned. > > The lesson for me was more about posture than devices; reduce repetitive > neck, arm and wrist movements; to regularly get up out of the chair, walk > around and stretch a bit - and oh, a trackball device can't hurt :). > > Hopefully your employer (unless you're self-employed) will support you like > mine did and pay for professional advice and act on the recommendation. It > is in their interest to do so as it is an occupational health and safety > issue and unaddressed could get more expensive for you both. > > Good luck, > Chris > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On Behalf Of Les Hughes > Sent: Wednesday, 6 July 2011 9:52 PM > To: ozDotNet > Subject: Keyboard & Mouse Ergonomics + Qwerty/Dvorak/Colemak > > > Hey All, > > This is kind of long (eeep), but here goes: > > Lately I've have been getting a little tense in my mid-right back area > and right wrist which I believe is been caused by a lot of the mouse > work I've been doing over the past few weeks in which my right arm is > constantly extended out around 30-40 centimetres from the home position > on the keyboard. > > I thought here would be a good place to ask for advice in how everyone > else, whom, like me, spends upwards of 60 hours per week behind their > battlestations. (check: http://www.reddit.com/r/battlestations for info > on 'battlestations') > > The main areas I am currently looking at are Keyboards, Mice, and > Keyboard Layouts. > > > Keyboards > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > I currently use a Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 Keyboard ( > > http://www.microsoft.com/australia/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/images/products/nek4k/mk_productdetails_nek4k.jpg > ) and am starting to think that the space between the right control key > (below the right shift and enter keys) where the arrow buttons and > numeric pad are just get in the way. > > So far I am thinking about moving to a smaller keyboard to limit the > space I need to move for the mouse, ideas so far are the > > - Truly Ergonomic keyboard @ > http://www.trulyergonomic.com/images/Truly_Ergonomic_Keyboard.jpg & > http://www.trulyergonomic.com ) > > - Kinesis Freestlye VIP @ > http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/images/freestyle-vip_648x339.jpg - > http://www.kinesis-ergo.com > > > Mouses - mice, mices :P > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > I am leaning towards a trackball, but have also considered something > more vertical: > > - Kensington Expert Trackball @ > > http://www.smartmadesimple.com.au/Products/images/Zoom/z64325%20Expert%20Mouse.jpg > (favourite so far) > > - Logitec M570 @ > http://www.logitech.com/assets/32954/4/logitech-wireless-trackball-m570.png > > - EZ Vertical Mouse @ http://www.auzspec.com.au/media/274270427lMSEZ1L.jpg > > > Keyboard Layouts > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Perhaps a religious battle, but: > > I was thinking if I am going to go along the whole self improvement > route with better devices, why not visit my keyboard layouts? Most of us > use QWERTY: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QWERTY > > Much of my reading seems to point towards qwerty being a terrible > layout, and something that should have died with the typewriter (it's > keylayout is meant to slow you down, and has more to do with stopping > those thingies on the typewriter from getting stuck together... those > who have used typewriters will know what I mean) > > Besides QWERTY, there are a few others that seem to be gaining traction, > they are: > > DVORAK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout#Dvorak > > Colemak: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout#Colemak > > Colemak so far looks the most appealing to me if I were to change, > http://colemak.com/ has a good explanation of the keyboard, but seems to > be down right now :/ > > > The questions: > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > - Has anyone gone down the ergonomic path, and what did end up doing? > > - Are there any recommended keyboard/mouse combinations that you think > are worthwhile? > > - Does anyone think a smaller kayboard is better development with a > numeric pad on the left or a USB external one? > > - Trackballs: yay or nay? > > - Has anyone changed their keyboard layout, and if so, would you > recommend it? > > ------------------------------------------------- > > Hopefully this isn't too early for the week (not friday), but I'd be > really interested in any feedback anyone has. > > Thanks heaps :) > -- > Les Hughes > [email protected] >
