Some solutions to carpal tunnel syndrome and wrist pain.
The information presented here is no substitute for proper medical attention provided by trained professionals in medicine. By continuing reading you certify that you understand and agree that the information presented here is only for informational purposes and that you're solely responsible for your own actions.
If you suffer from pain in your wrists while using your computer, try the following.
Get a voice recognition software!
If you are reading this, what probably gives you the most trouble is your computer mouse. Well, there's a way to bypass its use almost completely with a good degree of efficiency. This way is acquiring to a voice recognition software. You have probably seen them before; maybe in a magazine or Internet ad. Anyway, these software allows you by means of a microphone (usually placed on a headset), to dictate into your word processing program without the keyword, but the sweet part is that nowadays they are pretty good at letting you surf the Web hands-free!
The two leading products are Dragon NaturallySpeaking and IBM�s ViaVoice. Both of them are not very different and now belong to the same company. I'll focus more on Dragon NaturallySpeaking, because I know it better. I have been using version 6 since 2002 but version 9 has just been released. I plan to get it when the new Windows OS comes out.
To navigate the Web it's easy enough. Just by using preprogrammed commands you can open and close windows, have the program read text back at you, scroll up and down the page, click links and images and get to every place in the page relatively quickly. Up until now you were stuck with Internet Explorer (meaning in that the program was not compatible with any other browser), but I hear that with this the new version you can now use Firefox as an alternative.
The program also has some other nice features, such as compatibility with other programs, and the like. If you decide yourself for this one, be sure to get the preferred edition and if possible, with other language modules that you might use. Even if you have no problem at the present, consider it as means of prevention.
Drawbacks
There are a few things to be aware of:
It is expensive (~$200). Even the upgrades.
The most recent version (version 9) needs at least 512 MB of RAM.
You do surf the Web slower (I would say around 50%). Nothing to do with your connection, but dictating takes more time than moving your hand around.
You need a somewhat quiet place to dictate, otherwise the recognition accuracy falls and people might stare at you. If you're in an office environment, try to negotiate your workplace to a calmer area in the building.
The included headset can be really lousy. You may have to buy another one. Shop around in the Internet (try the voicerecognition forums) and aim for one that its both lightweight and headphone free (a headphone can be really uncomfortable and unnecessary).
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Vertical mice
Voice recognition solves (at least for me) 90 percent of hand use. There is still a way to address the remaining 10 percent. Apparently, engineers weren't thinking of ergonomics when they designed the computer mouse. When problems began arising, someone came up with a clever idea of redesigning the mouse so that it would lie on its side. These mice, termed vertical, allegedly decrease the pressure on your wrist by offering a more 'natural' posture for your hand and arm. With them, rather than placing your hand on top of the device, you hold in a ' handshake' fashion. There are two companies that I am aware of that manufacture them: Evoluent and 3M. I have only tried the 3M model (comes in two sizes), which feels like a gliding joystick. Although I have found it an improvement over traditional mice, I must say that it is hardly a long-term solution: it still hurts after a period of use if your wrist is tender. Notwithstanding, you might want to check it out for use in conjunction with other solutions, or go directly to the Evoluent one. For a new vertical mouse expect to spend at least $50.
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The P5 glove
Maybe part of the problem I have with this stuff is that, although I'm sitting correctly, I have to reach for the mouse to move it. Hardly a good habit. Enter the P5 glove. This peripheral is a glove, as its name implies, that you wear on your hand which permits you to move things on screen (mainly items on games), thanks to its imbedded sensors. It was launched a few years ago with not much success as a game controller. The programmers, however, had a good sense of including a ' mouse mode ' that controls the cursor. I have not tried it, but I fully intend to get myself one. Not having to reach for the mouse and having your hand resting comfortably near you might be a tremendous boon. Later, when I have tested it for a few weeks, I'll post my impressions here. Used and new P5 gloves can be found at eBay in the $10 to $50 range.
Micro trac mouse (~$20)
Probably the greatest advantage of this mouse is that you don't need a surface such as a table or pad to work with it. You just hold it and move the mouse pointer with the small trackball that sits on top and click away with the three integrated buttons. It is usable with either hand to boot.
Unfortunately, I did not find it comfortable enough to mouse through the day no matter what combination of hands I tried. What was the greatest letdown was the nigh impossibility of making precise clicks on the first go. Each time I tried to click on something, the pointer would move as I set to make the left click, probably due to a minute movement of the trackball at that moment. The trackball itself is a bit hard to get to comfortably, which makes me feel would strain the base of my thumb in the long run.
If patience is one of your attributes, you may want to give it to try mainly because of its low price.
Other input devices (not seen or tested)
Kensington trackball (~$65)
easycat & smartcat touchpads
one finger mouse
Use macros for repetitive tasks
?There is a group of medical conditions named repetitive stress injuries (RSI). The name is pretty much self-explanatory and your wrist pain might be placed in there. If repetition of certain physical actions is what leads to pain, why not automate those actions and skip the trouble? This is what macros are for.
A macros client is software that lets you easily program your computer to do specific tasks with a couple of keystrokes. Besides being a timesaver, it saves you from doing the same actions over and over again. This is one of the most useful tools out there, so be sure to adopt it as soon as possible.
About gaming
How can I break this down to you? If you have problems with your wrists, it is my belief that you must seriously cut down your computer or console gaming time or maybe forego it altogether. Yes, I know it's difficult, but health should be your priority. I do not want to sound like your mother, but it's true you know. For the record, I did cut back 100% before returning to gaming after several months at a very low pace. For instance, it took me 18 months to finish Doom 3 just playing on Sundays. The p5 glove may be of help here too.
It is no substitute, but have you checked youtube? There's a game category that has loads of videos of games you can watch without playing them yourself. Gametheater has some of this too.