How I stopped the RSI pain that almost destroyed my programming career

Wish there was more competition in ergonomic input devices. Was just searching for a new mouse and couldn't find a vertical mouse with acceptable reviews.

Ended up forgoing the vert. mouse altogether and buying a Logitech MX Master to replace my Logitech G500 (which I've used for many years and is now discontinued) and I'm pretty happy with it so far. I'm even pleased with its gaming performance (probably not OK for highly competitive or pro gamers, but np for me). Mouse was visibly sluggish over Bluetooth but works great over Logitech RF.

Although the MX Master is not billed as an ergonomic device, it fits my hand better than the G500 and I already feel some relief of the slight pain in my right wrist.

I've used a Kinesis Advantage keyboard for about 3 years (and the MS Ergo 4000 for several years before that, in response to pain that developed before I even turned 20) and it's been a godsend. Would like to find a good ergo mouse before I'm forced to.

The DXT Mouse by Kinesis is the absolute best mouse I've ever used. It's ambidextrous so you can switch back and forth to do wear-leveling. It's crazy comfortable. You may have to raise it up on a book or something though next to your keyboard due to the different way you hold it.

I switch back and forth between a DXT mouse and a trackball every couple days so that I'm not always doing the same motions.

I also use auto-click software so that I don't have to click the mouse. I use RSI Guard which has this feature.

https://www.amazon.com/Kinesis-Corporation-Wireless-Promotes...

I had problem with my right hand. Majorly due to mouse usage. I'm not typing much (even being software developer). I have also tried different physical activities but it's only solving problem temporally. So my lifehack: switch mouse to left/right hand from time to time (or at work left handed, at home right handed). That's it. Yes, it's a bit awkward on beginning, but take that as challenge. And it will bring less harm than pills. In couple weeks you won't have problems to use mouse with any hand.

Of course if you're typing a lot and you have problem with both hands due to keyboard usage my solution will not work for you.

As already mentioned, everyone's RSI is different so no one solution works for everyone, and if you have RSI, you should try everything until you find something that works for you.

The two biggest wins for me have been a standing desk for posture improvement, and wearing wrist braces at night.

I've dealt with RSI and carpal tunnel syndrome for almost two decades, off and on. Some of my triggers are chairs with arms (I almost can't help but lean on them, making my posture horrible and disrupting blood flow), bad weather (rain and cold), stress, depression (all pain is worse when you're depressed).

My first real recovery came when I got an Aeron and lowered the arms enough to where I couldn't lean on them, switched to a tiling window manager and stopped using the mouse (I am back to normal mouse and window manager these days, but when I feel the twinges of pain, I will sometimes switch back), and fixing the source of some of my stress (money was a stresser back then, and I took a contract job that paid well and got my debts paid off and some savings in the bank, so I could get back to working on the stuff I wanted to work on).

I don't know which of these things was the real cure, though I do know that using a chair with arms I can lean on is the fastest way to bring the pain back.

I suspect it is never "cured", it's just managed. Since figuring out my triggers it's been rare that I've experienced the pain for more than a few hours or days, and taking a walk, massaging my hands and wrists, etc. can usually get me back to work.