What's better for your wrists: navigating with mouse or keyboard?

Question

While neither can be good when it comes to repetitive stress and carpel tunnel, what is generally better for your hands/wrists? Keyboard navigation (mainly using keyboard-based shortcuts) or mouse nav?

Answer 1

your mouse because you are not repeating the exact same motions over and over again like you are when you are typing.

Answer 2

I’ve got severe carpal tunnel in both wrists and a cyst in my right wrist. First, doctors only know what they are taught, and that is only what the government wants them to know. Did you know it’s illegal for doctors to cure cancer, they are only allowed to treat it with very specific things that actually kill the patient’s body slowly. But, there IS a cure for cancer. And there’s a cure for carpal tunnel too. Here it is:

PREVENTION
Use a tool instead of flexing your wrists forcibly.

Use your whole hand and all your fingers when you grip an object.

In doing a task, use your whole arm, not just your wrist. For example, when hammering, swing your arm rather than just your wrist.

Maintain good posture and keep your elbows bent while typing, writing, etc. What is the ideal position? Have your wrist back slightly, so that your thumb is parallel to your forearm. Your hand should be in approximately the same position as if it were holding a pen. This position keeps the carpal tunnel as open as possible. Place a wrist pad in front of the keyboard.

Before starting homework, exercise the fingers and wrists for a couple of minutes, to warm them up. Take a break from handwork every hour. Shake out your hands every so often throughout the day.

TREATMENT
As soon as the tingling begins, begin doing some gentle hand exercises. Rotate the wrist in a circle for 2 minutes. This exercises all the muscles of the wrist, restores circulation, and gets your wrist out of the position that usually causes the trouble.

Raise your hands above your head and rotate your arms while rotating your wrists at the same time. Also do some neck turns; look over your right, then your left, shoulder. Learn to exercise and relax as you work.

Vitamin B6 along with magnesium, helps eliminate the problem.

Eat part of a fresh pineapple daily, for 1 to 3 weeks. The bromelain in it will reduce swelling and pain.

Eat only moderate amounts of oxalic acid foods (beets, beet greens, sorrel, swiss chard, cabbage family, eggs, parsley, and asparagus.). Avoid spinach, and especially rhubarb. Fish have oxalic acid also.

Avoid salt and all sodium foods, for they promote water retention.

Try to reduce the impact of repetitive mechanical tasks on your wrists and hands. If possible, stop all such movements for several days and see if improvement occurs. If so, try to do these functions less frequently. If possible, rotate your duties, so you do not do those repetitive tasks everyday.

Keep your weight down. Extra weight puts more pressure on the carpel tunnel.

Keep your arms close to your body and your wrists straight while sleeping. For example, if you let your hand drop over the side of the bed while you are sleeping, the pressure on the median nerve is increased.

You might wish to temporarily wear a wrist splint at night. This helps keep the wrist straight.

Do not wrap your wrist in an ace bandage. This could cut off the circulation.

If you have to carry something, make sure the handle is the right size. If it is too small or large, it could hurt your wrist.

Aloe vera, yarrow, and yucca help restore flexibility and reduce inflammation. Skullcap relieves muscle spasms and pain. Wintergreen oil reduces pain and aids circulation to the muscles.

Answer 3

For my desk, i have a slide out to place my keyboard and mouse. At the end of it it has wrist where sort of half rest my wrists on, while my fingers do the rest. It keeps my wrists in a neutral position. i can't find anything else quite like it, but i see it for just the mouse and you can get a keyboard that comes with the pad. I hope your pains go away!

Answer 4

Neither is better or worse than the other if you practice ergonomics. Choose the most comfortable positioning for the mouse, keyboard and your wrists.

Answer 5

You're right, they're both bad for you. But I suppose using a mouse would be a better choice, because then you can decide which general area to put your wrists on the table.

Answer 6

That depends on the mouse and the keyboard... check out a ergonomics web site and follow the directions for making your computer ergonomically correct for you... different users have different needs, you need to find out what is best for you. Google it.

Answer 7

well~~~my wrist's sometimes feel very tire by using the mouse... lots of time i like using keyboard

Answer 8

i prefer my mouse, because i have to move my hand further to rotate it, plus i get a break when i have to type on the keyboard. they make special keyboards and mouse pads to prevent carpal tunnel...not sure how well they work though. :-/

Answer 9

hmm... i don't know the keyboard shortcuts so i prefer mouse only for scrolling & keyboard for other things.

Answer 10

your mouse is better for your wrists