An Ergonomist Experience with Wrist Pain
Okay, before you judge me and say I suck as an ergonomist I must confess I actually had never worked in an office environment before becoming an ergonomist. I knew the body and what it was capable of in different environments but I worked in the healthcare industry, mostly hospitals for 15+ years. My computer use was limited and sitting time was nearly non existent. In a hospital setting you walk as you type and hope you don’t run over anyone in the halls.
My new position as an ergonomist required a completely different use of my body and time. Unlike other office jobs I did get to walk around the office a great deal of the time, which was great. However, I covered 5 different buildings in downtown San Francisco, which meant I didn’t have a permanent desk. The ergonomist was on the run with nothing but a laptop and a mission. It didn’t take long before the pain began to creep in.
When my pain first started I quickly attributed it to everything but my computer use. I told myself it was something common, something all new moms experienced. When it turned out to not be new mom wrist pain I said it had to be my sleeping posture then my running stride and then my backpack use, I was in denial. After the pain moved up to my shoulder I decided I need to stop playing ergonomist / occupational therapist to everyone else and start taking care of myself.
Telling people how to do things is SOOOOO much easier than actually do them. I spend hours a day working off my laptop on comfy tech couches and stylish chairs and it was killing me. I moved around so much I had to figure out how I was going to make my environment work for me. I decided to start small and add an external mouse to my work inventory.
Up until I decided to make a change to my work equipment I arrived to every ergonomic evaluation with a laptop and my phone. I choose to start with an external mouse because I knew it would decrease the number of times I deviate my wrist to reach the trackpad. I choose a travel mouse sent to me by a vendor because it was small and free, yes I’m cheap but you try living in the bay area lol. Just a little bit about it: The buttons were soft upon pressing which was easy on the joints of the hand. It was matte and slightly textured which prevented it from sliding out of my hand. It was quiet, perfect for working in public. It connected easily with it’s “connection” button, it had an off and on button and I swear I charged it once in the last couple of months. It was great for on the go, but did it completely help? No.
When choosing office equipment for yourself you have to take more than just reviews and convenience into consideration. Every piece of equipment will interact with the user differently. You have to take into account the size of your body and how you will use it. I know there are a handful of better mouses out there to help with wrist pain. The travel mouse I choose decreased my deviation but it didn’t prevent my palm from pressing down onto the surface on the table, it was too small. Anything else would have made moving around difficult. So now what’s my next step on decreasing my pain further? Well, I’m currently working from home and not onsite as much. I am trying out a bigger more neutral type mouse. I’m going to play with a combination of uses, neutral larger mouse at home and smaller mouse on the go. Lets see what routine I can keep up with and hopefully I will find the right mix. I’ll keep you updated on my progress. Thanks for reading :)
Mouse used: Uhuru Rechargeable Bluetooth Wireless Mouse.
Perks:
Silent
Light
Bluetooth doesn’t need USB
Battery last long
Soft press
Price: ~15.99
Downside: It can disconnect often, when not in use.