Pen Tablet to the rescue!

If you’re starting to get that tingly feeling in your wrists it’s a warning. You could be showing symptoms of carpel-tunnel syndrome. Perhaps a Pen Tablet could help.

Hey I’m not a doctor, but if you prefer to treat the cause of the problem, or better yet prevent carpel-tunnel altogether read my earlier post about my own experience.

The pen tablet has been a key factor in eliminating discomfort in my wrists. Try this simple exercise to understand how poor ergonomics using a typical mouse can cause problems for some people:
1.) Sitting down at your computer in an armless chair, put your hand at your side. Make sure it’s relaxed.
2.) Lift your arm from the elbow, and rest it on the table. Notice that your hand is resting on the “pinky” side of your hand, with the thumb on top.
3.) Now, grasp the mouse as you would work with it. Notice how your wrist twists and possibly bends? A pen tablet can help eliminate the twisting and bending in your wrists and perhaps reduce injury.

I have two pen tablets that I have purchased. One is in my home study, the other is with my computer at work. Both are made by Wacom and are Graphire models that are discontinued. They were priced at roughly $100, and easily hooked up to a MAC or Windows machine.

Outside of the possible health benefits, there are many useful operational and creative advantages.
1.) Multiple pointing modes: Mouse, pen, multi-touch finger
2.) You can customize the way the pen, mouse, or even your finger are used with individual programs. That feature can be a major productivity boost when you switch from Microsoft Word to Adobe Photoshop. The included software keeps track of which tool and the software you are using.
3.) You can write or markup documents as though you were writing on paper.
4.) A pressure sensitive pen makes the process of retouching photos or drawing more intuitive. Basically the more pressure you use, the wider the stroke.

Which one should you buy? There are many tablets out there, starting at $70 and going into the thousands. My personal suggestion is to check out the Wacom product line, and compare with others you find.

Do you have experience with a pen tablet and have recommendations? We’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment.

Remember, technology is your friend!
-John (aka Founding Geek)

Keyboard and Mouse Ergonomics

A few years ago at work, I started to feel a tingle in my wrists when I would work for a prolonged time at a computer keyboard. I knew what it was – carpel-tunnel syndrome.

The only thing that was giving me the discomfort was the keyboard and mouse. Just like most of you my wrists were bent in some awkward position to use the computer and that was causing the tingling and numbing sensation. (I might have to make a short video to demonstrate this wrist bending thing). So how could I use a computer and minimize bending my wrists? Several ways.

Posture:
Make sure you have correct posture and seating position (tips here, diagram here) when using a computer. Here’s a diagram showing correct position of your mouse hand. Here’s a diagram showing correct position for your hands on a keyboard.

Equipment:
I made a couple changes to my keyboard and mouse as well. I purchased an ergonomic keyboard and a pen tablet to help me keep the proper hand position. Future posts will feature the keyboard and pen tablet I purchased.

With these changes, I have not again experienced the pain/numbness associated with carpel-tunnel.

Why am I doing this blog? Answer here.

Would you like to share your experiences with carpel-tunnel syndrome and workplace ergonomics? Please share with your comments.

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)