RSI or Repetitive Strain Injury is usually work-related. The most common causes include
- maintaining a static posture over a prolong period, like sitting in a fixed position the whole day
- using a badly designed gadget or environment
- doing something repetitive like playing piano or using the mouse for long hours.
The best way to avoid RSI is to take a break every twenty mins or so. Even the best ergonomically designed mouse would not solve the problem. Some time back, a VERTICAL mouse was introduced, to "un-twist" the wrist to minimize RSI at the wrist. Instead of having the palm parallel to the table top, it is now at a right angle to it. The RSI on the wrist was reduced, but the stain was transferred to the shoulder, and many early adopters suffer from shoulder pain after a while.
For those using the iPad or iPhone to play games and surf the web the whole day, I can see more users having RSI on their fingers and shoulders!
For any small gadget, the trick to minimize RSI is
- try not to grip it too tight
- alternate between different posture, if we can't take a break every twenty mins or so.
Instead of clicking on the small Left and Right buttons, the whole body of the Z-Nano now acts like a big switch. It is like flicking the ON-OFF switch on the wall. The clicking is now FRONT-BACK, and I need only one finger to operate the mouse.
When I really can't take a break, I switch over to my other fingers to operate the mouse
The most important thing is, always find time to take a break
