Jim, thanks for sharing the links about the Alexander Technique!

"...helps you release muscular tension and restore your body's original poise. As you address your entire body — not just segments — you learn to improve your overall functioning."

+1 for a good PT - one of them helped me totally eliminate a shoulder problem related to guitar playing.

I don't use this any more, but years ago I had hand issue with mice. I got a special foot pedal that did the clicks. Forward for left click, backward for right. Worked great. I just used my arm / hand to position the mouse and clicked with my feet.

The right posture is really helpful - making sure the hand is either parallel with arm or turned down. Never turned up.

I also went to an Arts Medicine clinic - only a few in the US. They stressed warm up excersises and stretches which were good. But the doctor prescribed heavy anti-inflammatories. I totally recommend against taking any NSAID's. No good at all.

After years I finally stumbled onto enzymes - which changed everything for me. There's a product from Germany called Wobenzym - enzyme based. This stuff is fantastic at reducing inflammation and recovering from injuriies. Because of this I have no issues anymore whatsoever - including putting an end to general body aches and back strain, knees, etc. The East German olympic team used to smuggle tons of this stuff in from West Germany after the East Germans were caught using Steriods decades ago. Enzymes are totally natural and safe and legal.

This is an important topic, so I wanted to share my experiences. In 1995 I started (a) a job using a PC all day, and (b) a hobby using Cakewalk all night ~ all right-hand mousing; 16 hours a day. After some years, I got major right hand mousing pain issues.

+1000 to using the left hand to "mouse". I never could work well with trackballs (I tried), but take 2 months to force yourself to left hand mouse 100% of the time as "basic training". THEN (after a couple months) do 50 / 50 (left / right) and you'll be OK. My approach is to work (my job) LH and Sonar (at home) RH. Anyone can get used to it.

Also: NEVER use the "prop up thingies" under the lower bottom of your typing keyboard. NEVER set a keyboard tray up other than flat (parallel) to the ground. It amazes me to see people with angled upwards keyboard trays AND with the 'angle" feet extended. THIS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO TENDONITIS!! Keep your keyboard FLAT (even better: very slightly angled DOWNward, if your tray allows).

A flat keyboard orientation and equal left-right mousing will get you past this.

Hope this helps,
Ed

@Xavier - you're very welcome. It really worked for me (and I'm a pretty critical/cynical SOB about a lot of things). There are other people in my research lab who tried it; all of them had good results as well.

A good trainer matters. It happens that my teacher was also a licensed PT, but had switched over primarily to teaching Alexander technique, because her clients got better results with it, for most things.

Nothing wrong with PT - my daughter has serious foot problems and has reaped huge benefits from a good PT program. But for RSI issues and the like, it seems more effective to learn how to change your biomechanics etc. so that you stop aggravating your body, rather than continuing to treat symptoms.

- Jim

Also: NEVER use the "prop up thingies" under the lower bottom of your typing keyboard. NEVER set a keyboard tray up other than flat (parallel) to the ground. It amazes me to see people with angled upwards keyboard trays AND with the 'angle" feet extended. THIS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO TENDONITIS!! Keep your keyboard FLAT (even better: very slightly angled DOWNward, if your tray allows).

+10

On a different note - I'm a bit surprised that no one has suggested getting something like an AlphaTrack, for Sonar use at least. You might find you used your mouse a lot less if you had an AlphaTrack....

- Jim

ORIGINAL: guitartrek
After years I finally stumbled onto enzymes - which changed everything for me. There's a product from Germany called Wobenzym - enzyme based. This stuff is fantastic at reducing inflammation and recovering from injuriies. Because of this I have no issues anymore whatsoever - including putting an end to general body aches and back strain, knees, etc. The East German olympic team used to smuggle tons of this stuff in from West Germany after the East Germans were caught using Steriods decades ago. Enzymes are totally natural and safe and legal.

Wobenzym looks interesting, and if the German FDA-equivalent have approved it, it's probably reasonably safe.
I have a bit of a problem with the notion that anything "totally natural" is therefore safe. Hemlock is totally natural, you know.... and taking high levels of various "safe" substances can lead to problems. (Just being skeptical, you understand).

I did a quick Google search on "wobenyzm side effects" and came up with two credible hits (but only two, and they date from 1991 and 1995):
http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/8525134 - in Mexico
http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/1809893 - in the Netherlands

Two hits is probably not so bad for almost anything. You're probably more likely to take harm from prolonged Vitamin C megadose therapy (see Wikipedia article for possible harmful effects from that; evidence is mixed).

- Jim

ORIGINAL: Jim Wright

ORIGINAL: guitartrek
After years I finally stumbled onto enzymes - which changed everything for me. There's a product from Germany called Wobenzym - enzyme based. This stuff is fantastic at reducing inflammation and recovering from injuriies. Because of this I have no issues anymore whatsoever - including putting an end to general body aches and back strain, knees, etc. The East German olympic team used to smuggle tons of this stuff in from West Germany after the East Germans were caught using Steriods decades ago. Enzymes are totally natural and safe and legal.

Wobenzym looks interesting, and if the German FDA-equivalent have approved it, it's probably reasonably safe.
I have a bit of a problem with the notion that anything "totally natural" is therefore safe. Hemlock is totally natural, you know.... and taking high levels of various "safe" substances can lead to problems. (Just being skeptical, you understand).

I did a quick Google search on "wobenyzm side effects" and came up with two credible hits (but only two, and they date from 1991 and 1995):
http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/8525134 - in Mexico
http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/1809893 - in the Netherlands

Two hits is probably not so bad for almost anything. You're probably more likely to take harm from prolonged Vitamin C megadose therapy (see Wikipedia article for possible harmful effects from that; evidence is mixed).

- Jim

Jim - That's pretty interesting about C. I totally agree that natural doesn't mean safe. That's why I said it is natural and safe. The FDA says that Asprin is safe, but it isn't. Wobenzym is. It's the way enzymes work. You can't OD on them like you can with a lot of (natural) vitamins or aspirin. If you take two much ibuprofen or aspriin you can definitely feel a little weird. I can take a triple dose or a 30x dose of wobenzym and I will never feel different and it won't do anything to my body. Your body will only use what it needs. Usually you don't need much, but if you broke your arm, Doctors have recommended take 50 tables to help the healing. Of course most doctors I've talked to never heard of Wobenzym.

I tried opening those 2 links, but it wanted me to join.

Wobenzym has been around for like 50 years and was developed originally as a cure for cancer. There are (were) a lot of articles about it. This page has their Story which is interesting:
http://www.smartbomb.com/readingroom-the-wobenzym-storey.html

ORIGINAL: Jim Wright
...and taking high levels of various "safe" substances can lead to problems. (Just being skeptical, you understand).

ORIGINAL: guitartrek
Jim - That's pretty interesting about C. I totally agree that natural doesn't mean safe....

No doubt. The fact that people die from an overdose of WATER, says it all...

ORIGINAL: Xavier

ORIGINAL: Jim Wright
...and taking high levels of various "safe" substances can lead to problems. (Just being skeptical, you understand).

ORIGINAL: guitartrek
Jim - That's pretty interesting about C. I totally agree that natural doesn't mean safe....

No doubt. The fact that people die from an overdose of WATER, says it all...

Yeah - and the fact that breathing air oxidizes your cells so that you need to take anti-oxidants!

That Alexander technique looks absolutely fascinating. There is a teacher near me, I may look it up.

Since posting I've bought every type of mouse known to mankind. I think the left handed and eventually 50/50 technique with the center-ball trackball and/or the handle grip mouse is going to be the key in the long term, along with a strong focus on good posture, which is work b/c I tend to slouch back and kick my feet up.

I started PT and it's going great. For anyone in the Boston area who needs PT, I can't recommend Kennedy Bros. PT enough. I've been there on and off for over ten years for myriad injuries and they have always had me back on my feet (or whatever) within a few weeks. They work you VERY hard and MAKE you come back until you're cured (many PT places tell you to do it at home after, say, six weeks, b/c of insurance coverage issues - KBPT will NEVER send you home until your are better and they will NEVER hound you for money; they are GOOD people).

I've put in an order for the foot mouse thing - the one that pivots, not moves b/c lifting and moving the foot arounds seems like asking for trouble (foot RSI). The potential for workflow is amazing - given that both hands would be free to work my MCU while using feet for the mouse. Can't wait to try to use that foot mouse to insert an effect for the first time. I'll probably end up getting frustrated and drop-kicking the thing, but it's worth a shot.

Thanks again.