Mouse, mouses, rodents or pens?
Clearing a path though the jungle of mousery - choosing and using a suitable device.
Mouse evolution
The original mouse, invented by one Douglas Englebart in 1963, who at the time was working at the Stanford Research Institute, was called the “X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System”. Another rather dry term (which can include software) is “non-keyboard input device”.
40 years on, the market offers Cordless, Footmouse, Glidepoint, IntelliMouse, J mouse, Joystick, Touch pad, Trackball, TrackPoint, and Wheel mouse, to name but a few. And not to mention pen input devices.
There are also at least 5 ways of getting the mouse to talk the computer, which are Bluetooth, Infrared, USB and the now declining P/S2 and Serial Ports.
Mouse choice
So what postural considerations should you keep in mind when deciding which little beastie to choose?
Mouses are a real pain the neck. Sometimes literally, for a frequent cause of neck pain is the position of the mouse or the way it is used. Misuse is also a cause of RSI which (as readers of this newsletter will remember) is a term covering somewhere between 14-20 medical conditions. The point about them is that the injuries are all caused by strain from excess repetition in the wrong alignment. With mouses, these movements may be very small indeed, and still cause the problem.
When you choose a mouse, try it out before buying if possible.
Look at the relationship of the size of the mouse to your hand size. It is basically commonsensical: however alluring, if it is clearly too big or too small, don’t use it.
Avoid one which will result in excess finger activity on the wheel.
When using your mouse:
- Position yourself so that your upper arm is vertical, and your lower arm approximately horizontal. Position the mouse as close to mid-line as possible (hence our recommendation about short keyboards, see here.)
- Check the angle of your wrist joint to your hand – the elbow, wrist and knuckles should be more or less in one straight line.
- If using a traditional mouse, do not move it on the pad just with your fingers, but move whole lower arm. Likewise, do not move it left and right at wrist, but move it from the elbow.
- And vary your task!
Lastly, if you have aching, pins and needles, toothache-like pains in your hands or lower arm, report it immediately and ask for professional help. It could be RSI, and the longer it is left, the longer it takes to sort it out.
Contact
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