RSI in mousing finger & AutoCAD input devices

Last year I used AutoCAD intensively and by December I noticed my
right index finger (mouse hand) aching and becoming painfull to use
the mouse. I reckon it is a combination or left clicking and
scrolling with the mouse with a 'clawed' hand movement which has
caused the problem (it seems only to affect the index finger). I've
checked out a few internet forums and am not sure if this is Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome or Tendinitis or just 'mouse finger syndrome'.

I've resorted to using the mouse left handed, which is taking some
getting used to, and using keyboard commands wherever possible to
avoid using the mouse, but I think a right handed input device for
AutoCAD would still be easier for drawing as well as using the normal
mouse on the left.

I have ordered a Contour Perfit mouse (for my right hand) and am also
thinking about ordering a Wacom Graphire graphics tablet as an
alternative as I understand that swapping hands & devices balances the
stress and reduces the chances of RSI.

Has anyone experience of this problem and how you addressed it? Any
feedback on the input device dilemma? And any recommendations for
finger/hand exercises would be much appreciated.

 

I started having problems with my wrist after about 5 years into my
CAD career. I did as you did, and simply switched mouse hands. Yes,
it certainly took some time to get used to, and it took over a year
for my bad hand to really feel better.

Since then, I've decided that none of the devices are really a cure
or prevention. The issue is that you don't want to be doing the same
thing all the time. So, the goal is variety. For the last 5 years
or more, I've deliberately used one hand at work, and the other at
home. I also occasionally use a tablet at home. There are other
options out there as well, track balls, thumb wheel trackballs, etc.

They all take some getting used to, but once you do, you can switch
between them easily.

Joe

 

Is it the knuckle nearest the end of your index finger that hurts most? If so I think the pain is caused by the harshness of the mouse's "click".

I've worked on a lot of different CAD systems with a lot of different mice and the soft clicking ones don't seem to cause the pain with extended use - unfortunately they are often the ones that are tiny and cause pain elsewhere. Generally the bigger and more hand-shaped the better. I never had any pain using a stylus but they aren't at all common now.

Old mice, abandoned by people as worn out, seem to have softer clicks. But watch out for worn out scroll wheel mice - the wheel will often click (depress) when you are just trying to scroll.

There's a lot of variation in click harshness even between mice of the same model.