Dec 2, 2001
A recent Sorehander asked a quite sensible question that essentially boils down to "What are the best of breed office equipment choices with respect to RSI?" The question goes right to the core of how difficult the RSI problem is, because no single answer seems right for all RSI sufferers. And for the most part, those who don't yet suffer from serious RSI generally don't care. (And who can blame them?)
Based on my experience, and with the disclaimer that I'm not an ergonomist or a licensed medical practitioner, let me offer my answser. If you've got a health problem, see your doctor. While there certainly are some lousy products and some favorites of many RSI sufferers and opinion makers, there are two problems answering the question: 1) Even as regards the favorite products, there's not enough agreement on the best products to establish a consensus. RSI sufferers, even if the spend all the money in the world on the popular equipment, will have questionable benefit from the changes. In other words there's much doubt over whether the relative contribution of the equipment itself, as opposed to the habits with which it is used. Which brings us to the second factor... 2) Someone who has no RSI symptoms at all can wreak absolute havoc on their body using only the most widely favored equipment.
Our advice then is this: get the most adjustable equipment you can, get good advice on using it with low strain/pressure/tension, and don't work like a zombie. Maybe we Sorehanders can help you and ourselves best by answering the question "What is the most adjustable product in each class?" For mice (pointing devices) this would probably mean using a different style every "fatigue period."
By 'fatigue period,' I simply the amount of time it takes you to get tired or otherwise start overwhelming your body's ability to fend off damage. The collective but best-guess Sorehand wisdom is that after some period of time any number of things might be happening whether you feel it or not. The body can't sufficiently flush away the waste products of metabolism, tissues are starved of oxygen, tendons are insufficiently lubricated, nerves and blood vessels are not just pinched but kinked, and residue accumulates on moving parts (becoming adhesions).
Many Sorehanders refer to various "body awareness" disciplines such as Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, yoga, Tai Chi, and so on. These are all great techniques for recognizing your "fatigue period. " In other words, getting your intellect to recognize when you are approaching that threshold even if your senses of feeling, pain, and touch won't.
Send me your votes for the most adjustable computer equipment at jackbellis@hotmail.com.