Comments on: I'm not left handed, but am I this not left handed?

Question: I'm not left handed, but am I this not left handed?

jacquilynne — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:10:44 -0800

Is it possible that switching my mouse to my left hand is messing me up enough to cause physical symptoms?

I switch my mouse from my right hand to my left hand for RSI related issues. And it's been a *huge* help with the RSI stuff.

But I find I'm getting more headaches at the computer, and that I'm even sometimes nauseated, something I've started to correlate to times when I'm engaged in mouse-heavy activities.

I'm not certain this is the case, and I'm not an impartial or attentive enough observer to really confirm it via experimentation, but is it plausible? Could I actually be somehow taxing my brain or throwing off my balance or something enough to be causing headaches and nausea by having switched to using my non-dominant hand? I could imagine this being a posture issue, or something chiropractory, or just increased concentration to get the mouse movements right wearing me out.

By: These Premises Are Alarmed

These Premises Are Alarmed — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:12:27 -0800

Highly anecdotal, but years ago when I tried briefly to switch to a dvorak keyboard I got distinctly nauseous when trying to use it.

By: wannabecounselor

wannabecounselor — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:17:03 -0800

I switched to left-hand mousing a year ago, and it took a good six months for it to feel normal. I didn't really feel nauseous, but felt that I was working at an excruciatingly slow pace and hurting my left arm/shoulders/neck/back in all sorts of weird ways. But probably due to a combination of time and keeping up regular yoga/stretching/exercise, now my aches & pains feel more "normal" for my desk job than specific to the left hand mouse-use.

By: sebastienbailard

sebastienbailard — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:28:32 -0800

I could imagine this being a posture issue,

A bad computer setup can screw up your neck, along with your wrists:

"The prevalence of neck and upper extremity musculoskeletal
symptoms in computer mouse users" - Burgess-Limerick
pdf
quickview

I'd suggest throwing a whole bunch of fixes at the problem: standing desk, new drafting chair for said desk, "clicky keyboard", "hackers keyboard", dvorak, rsibreak software, fixing the height of your monitor, switching from a laptop to a monitor, using an upright mouse, etc.
http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/index.htm

Remember that it is not just your mouse that is trying to bite you, the keyboard has been contributing to rsi issues as well.

You may want to consult a professional in person on the subject. Some of the fixes may be outside the current box you're thinking in: "Once I built up my core back muscles, my rsi went away", etc.

By: Michele in California

Michele in California — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:37:45 -0800

It could be that you are spending more time at the computer and the monitor is the problem. I have tendon issues and I have done plenty of lefty mousing to cope. I began having burns to my face from the monitor from increased time in front of it. Crappy monitor, leaning forward towards it, plus more computer time equalled sunburn-like burns on my face. It took me some time to pinpoint the cause.

By: jacquilynne

jacquilynne — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:43:50 -0800

I'm not spending any more time in front of the computer -- possible slightly less, since the improving RSI issues have allowed me to get back into knitting more than I was.

By: yasaman

yasaman — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:58:11 -0800

In my experience, yes, it's possible. For me, bad posture at the computer causes tension headaches which cause nausea to the point where I've thrown up at work a couple of times. I'm guessing the switch to your left hand has messed with your posture and it's causing tension headaches. Pay attention to the muscles in your neck and shoulders, they're usually the culprits when it comes to tension-induced headaches.

By: iamkimiam

iamkimiam — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:55:17 -0800

Totally possible. When I was spending lots of time in front of the computer doing graphic design I would get left lower back and right shoulder pain due to the way I was holding my tablet pen. Sometimes I'd get a twinge and I could feel the whole chain of pain...from my wrist to elbow to shoulder, down my back and across to my hip. Such a subtle thing, yet it would have this cascading effect. And on bad days, I'd end up with low grade headaches, which in turn made me nauseas, probably from managing the nerve/connective-tissue stress and holding my posture up through it all. Don't underestimate the entire system...it's all connected, even if you're not experiences intermediary steps, like actual pain.

Come to think of it, it's not unlike getting a new pair of glasses and dealing with weeks of headache and/or nausea if the lenses are slightly off as your eye muscles strain to adjust.

By: Mr. Yuck

Mr. Yuck — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 17:41:13 -0800

I had no idea that it was possible to tan your face with a monitor.

You might consider other causes. The headaches and nausea sound like what I experienced when I developed an astigmatism.

By: heatherann

heatherann — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 17:58:38 -0800

Hello, fellow Torontonian crafty computer lady with RSI! I do not know the answer to your question, but Erica at Urban Athlete will. She is amazing and is the reason that I am still typing away happily. She is a chiropractor but does Active Release Therapy mainly and will not do chiropractory stuff on you if you are not comfortable with it. Feel free to memail me if you want more info.

Am also curious if you have good lighting in your workspace? Sometimes when I am sitting in the bright glow of my screen at night, turning on an extra light makes the headache suddenly disappear.

By: sebastienbailard

sebastienbailard — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 17:58:38 -0800

I'm not spending any more time in front of the computer -- possible slightly less, since the improving RSI issues have allowed me to get back into knitting more than I was.

Firstly, rsi and neck musculoskeletal can be quasi-degenerative. You screw up your body using the PC for 6 hours a day. Then you tell yourself "Ah, I will mouse with the other hand, and use the PC 4 hours a day, and will feel healthy!" Only what happens is that you are still putting a load on the neck and the shoulders and the wrists, so it gets worse, but slowly. When a rsi-treating professional would say 'Use the PC 2 hours a day. With a 1 minute break every 10 minutes. Change your chair, desk height, monitor height, key board, and mouse. And start taking anti-inflammatories and lifting weights.' *

Secondly, knitting can cause or contribute to rsi and neck musculoskeletal issues.**

* Source: quite a bit of casual reading on the subject, to treat my own issues.
** Source: Young woman who works at a knitting shop.

By: jacquilynne

jacquilynne — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:22:20 -0800

Using the computer for fewer hours a day is basically not an option - I manage a website for a living.

By: sebastienbailard

sebastienbailard — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 20:23:39 -0800

I understand. My point was that you may need to make a number of changes to your tools, your workspace, and your habits, not just one quick fix. I would suggest finding a good book on the subject, explicitly list all the elements of your current mode on paper, and next to them list prospective changes. e.g.

I personally also tried moving my mouse from the right side to the left side of the keyboard.

It made my left hand worse, but I still experienced pain and weakness in my right hand.

What helped with my issues included: diet (1/3 cup ground flaxseed every morning), getting away from the chair-from-hell, incorporating frequent small breaks using rsibreak software, and raising my monitor.

What helped the most was using a lenovo tabletpc (incorporating trackpad and stylus) in a recliner, and disposing of my old mouse.

For a friend, what helped was yoga, which must have built up his back muscles and shoulder muscles. In part for rsi-musculature reasons, I've been meaning to do karate once my busted toe heals, but until then will be frolicking with a 10 lb sledgehammer.

I think my point is, don't just fix item 1 while doing items 2 to n in ways regarded as unhealthy by rsi professionals, but fix 2 to n as well. In your case what you are doing is subjecting your left wrist to a evil mouse that you personally know contributes to rsi ('fixing' item 1) while not making a number of improvements to your workspace and habits (2 to n).