BRAMPTON,
ONTARIO - For most individuals in today's work force, the use of a computer
mouse is a necessity. However, the mouse that accompanies most computers
can be the cause of such Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs) as calloused
wrists, sore joints, and potentially complete loss of use in the hand.
As a result, Dawn Roberts is just one of many mouse users who has switched
to using a trackball, a device which eliminates the need for constant arm
movement. As a CAD
technician and graphic artist for Northern Telecom in Brampton, Roberts
spends several hours a day in front of a computer keyboard designing mechanical
parts with which to create three-dimensional models and drawings. These
models are used to build telecommunication products, such as telephone
sets, that are either manufactured within the company or by outside vendors.
After
10 years of working with mainframe computers, Roberts moved to a Hewlett
Packard (HP) workstation environment where she began noticing pain and
aggravation in her right elbow. She then went through two years of physiotherapy
and exercise in the hope of alleviating some of the pain. Eventually, Roberts
began using the mouse with her left hand, only to discover that the pain
travelled from her right hand to her left.
"I
couldn't fully extend my arm," Roberts said. " The pain got so
bad that I knew I had to do something about it, and the constant side-to-side
motion drove my elbow crazy. " Because her job description involves
a great deal of work with the mouse, Roberts asked the Northern Telecom
support staff to help her find an alternative input device that would support
the HP system she was currently using. Her company suggested the Diamond
Trackball from Evergreen Systems International.
Roberts
initially experimented with the traditional computer trackball. Although
she claimed the device did alleviate the need for gross arm movement, Roberts
soon discovered that because of the stiffness of the keys, pressure was
put on the carpal tunnel and weakened the tendons that helped to control
the cursor. In addition, Roberts said the Diamond Trackball was not robust
enough to endure the applications and the environment in which it was being
used. The bearings in the ball wore out within months of operation. Several
months later, Roberts was introduced to the MOUSE-TRAK, an ergonomically
designed input device from ITAC Systems (Garland ,TX). The MOUSE-TRAK trackball
appears to have encompassed the need for comfort, durability, and efficiency
that Roberts was searching for.
"I
am extremely happy with the MOUSE-TRAK," Roberts said. "I can't
express how much I depend on and enjoy using this product. It doesn't put
stress on the elbow and allows the ligaments in my arm to remain stationary
so there is no pressure on the carpal tunnel or wrist." The MOUSE-TRAK
provides a padded rest for support and allows the hand and arm to remain
in a comfortable, neutral position during operation. It also enables users
to control buttons with the thumb and pinky finger, leaving the three middle
fingers free to rotate the ball. "I like the way the MOUSE-TRAK feels
and I have learned to truly value the light touch of the buttons,"
Roberts said. "There are three functional keys on the mouse and the
amount of pressure required is so little that it doesn't bother me. The
light touch is a wonderful feature and one that I was desperately needing.
You can easily activate the keys with the thumb or finger, and it is quite
easy to do so. The padded rest makes use of the MOUSE-TRAK very comfortable,"
Roberts continued. "Believe me when I say that comfort with this type
of an input device is extremely important and should be ergonomically sound
because more and more applications are becoming mouse-intensive."
The need
for cursor control is an important characteristic for most computer operators,
especially among graphic artists and CAD engineers who rely upon the mouse
to perform graphic-intense applications for extended periods of time.
"I
really appreciate the MOUSE-TRAK feature that enables me to change the
track speed of the cursor with the click of a button," Roberts said.
"It's excellent for fine movement and is quite useful to control,
especially in the environment that I am constantly in, where it's important
to place the icon precisely in the right place." For Northern Telecom,
Roberts was a "guinea pig" for the MOUSE-TRAK. Since her use
of the product, however, she has become a virtual crusader for its endorsement
and has proceeded to encourage people to stray from the devices they are
currently using both in the work place and at home.
"A
significant number of people are having RSls develop in wrists, elbows,
and shoulders," Roberts commented. "Ergonomical features can
be used to help reduce this number, and both mice and keyboards are an
integral part of that solution. I would like to see people use the MOUSE-TRAK
before they suffer from stress related injuries," Roberts continued.
"I took an ergonomics course offered by the company that I work for
and am making an effort to encourage people to change their work environments
before they discover pain and discomfort. After the pain develops it is
too late to begin taking preventive measures."
Many computer
operators agree that the work environment needs to be studied from the
ground up and the entire system of input devices needs to be revamped in
a serious attempt to prevent such ergonomical problems from constantly
recurring. After all, studies prove that because of RSI problems, loss
of productivity in the work force is constantly growing. "The environment
in which I am currently working is not conducive to sitting in front of
a computer eight hours a day," Roberts said. "Once you have an
injury of this type, you will never again have 100% use of your arms or
hands. You will always experience pain of some sort in your ligaments.
Whether or not it's a constant bother is determined only by the extent
of the injury and how quickly you address the problem."