Anyone play on something like a trackball?

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104407&cm_re=M570-_-26-104-407-_-Product



The Logitech M570, I love this mouse. As someone else said, it takes a little while to get used to.

I started using one while deployed, i had my laptop but desks/tables were seldom available.

You can probably learn it, but I never had much joy, even when I used trackballs full time. The big deal, I found, was that there is a much higher time cost in changing the direction of the trackball movement, making it harder to rapidly reposition the cursor for movement or attacks compared to a mouse.

You might want to look at things like the Nostromo gamepad; I think Razor and Logitech are the two best options available. They use a thumb joystick for movement, and might be easier. I know for sure that fast repositioning was better with the Thinkpad nipple-joystick than with the trackball for me.

If it was me, though, I'd probably look at a vertical mouse, which is designed to remove the stress a normal mouse causes, for exactly the sort of problem you describe.

With all this stuff, though, your millage will absolutely vary. Each person is different, and what works for me may not work for you. (eg: people play successfully and happily with trackballs, as this thread show. I have literally no idea how, but hey, I'm glad they found something that works for them!)

Your mouse is only part of it. Your setup needs good ergonomics. Right angles are your friend. I'm seeing a physical therapist for a back problem and she emphasized the importance of posture and ergonomics.

As a base line, check some ergonomics graphics and adjust your setup so your not damaging yourself by using your computer. Or, at least, try to minimize it.

Stand up every half hour and move or stretch a bit. The idea is similar to moving your printer or your phone to where you can't reach it from your chair so you have to get up and walk across the room.

Look up some stretches for carpal tunnel. It is amazing, almost miraculous how much it helps.

It is better to prevent damage than to repair it.


Wolf

Use a proper fitting mouse. Most people don't realize but mice are like clothes: you need one that fits your movements and hand size. Finding the right one greatly cuts down on RSI (repetitive strain injuries).

Adjusting your desk and work/play environment is also crucial. Make sure it's set up ergonomically to reduce wrist pronation. You want your wrists to be straight, not bent to either side or up or down. This is actually super important to prevent RSI.

Trackballs are literally the dumbest thing ever made. They won't help relieve or prevent RSI and are economical nightmares. So yeah, I'd avoid them. Plus they are way harder to use than a mouse. There's a reason the fad fizzled out around the mid 2000's. They suck ass.

You don't need a doctor; you have carpal tunnel.

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_Tiem wrote:

You don't need a doctor; you have carpal tunnel.

This.

All the Doctor will do is tell you to rest, ice, and take NSAIDs. I personally take turmeric curcumin and magnesium instead of NSAIDs because I have a terrible digestive system.

I would also advise against gaming full-time with a wrist-brace - or gaming at all with a wrist-brace. It's like lifting weights with a training belt. 99% of the people who 'need' lifting belts have shitty form, are lifting too much weight, or are over-training. Throwing a brace on something doesn't solve the underlying issue as to why a specific motion causes pain in the first place. It also prevents specific muscles/tendons/joints from operating as they are supposed to - in many cases they can become weaker as other muscles become more dominate which creates further imbalances and future injuries.

With that being said, it might be a good idea to wear a wrist-brace when you sleep - especially if you are a big side sleeper or someone that tucks your hands under your head/pillow when you sleep. You'd be surprised what unnatural positions your hands can get locked into if your like me and sleep on your side. I've had success supplementing rest with a wrist-guard for sleep during my fits with carpal.

This is all my opinion and nothing more. I'm not a Doctor, just someone that has gamed for 20 years, played numerous sports competitively and seen way too many doctors that have said the same thing.

Rest, stretch, ice, rehabilitate and relearn correct posture/mechanics/range of motion, supplement with anti-inflammatory. Spend your copay on some other medium of entertainment besides gaming for a bit or maybe a new mouse/chair/desk if you find out your ergo is bad.

Thanks all for the advice.

I'll see the doc as I'd like some stretches and exercises and better to get that from a healthcare professional than some bro on Youtube (even if I just get referred onto someone else). Also if I want to get rests for work I'll be able to claim back the cost but I'd need to confirm I had doctor's advice.

As for trackballs, vertical mice etc, I'll hold off for now. The ergonomics of my workspace in the office are great, large desk, good chair - it's home that's the issue as my PC space is very limited and I don't have the space or money to spend on a bigger desk and an ergonomic chair. For now I'll stick to controller games where I can keep my wrists still until I get better advice or strengthen up.

Another thing you could try is a smaller keyboard. In my experience, the numpad on the right side of the keyboard tends to force my arms out at an awkward angle and that can cause pain too. I reworked my home setup to use a very compact main keyboard and bought a separate numpad that I put on the left.

Also I can definitely vouch for the vertical mouse. I'm pretty sure my wrist would be useless by now if I hadn't started using them.

Rub some dirt on it and get back in the game!

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Vesuvius079 wrote:

Another thing you could try is a smaller keyboard. In my experience, the numpad on the right side of the keyboard tends to force my arms out at an awkward angle and that can cause pain too. I reworked my home setup to use a very compact main keyboard and bought a separate numpad that I put on the left.

Also I can definitely vouch for the vertical mouse. I'm pretty sure my wrist would be useless by now if I hadn't started using them.

Problem is my wife uses my PC for work and hates anything that isn't 'normal'. I had a nice Coolermaster TKL for a few weeks and she complained until I just replaced it with my old full size KB.

Wireless vertical mouse is definitely an option though, she can stick to the wired logitech if she doesn't like it

PoE is for ma most click-intensive game I play. If I get pain and RSI returns I must take break and play something very low click-intense like World of Tanks. Or watch movie series for couple days.