If you read the wikipedia article on the computer mouse, you'd find that it was invented way back when the Beatles were becoming popular. However, it would take 20 more years before the Macintosh would bring it into mainstream computing in the mid 80s. What all this means for the majority of computer users is that it has been there since their first encounter with the personal computer.
Most people who complain of repetitive strain from computer work feel most of their pain in their mouse hand or wrist. Put simply, it is the main contributor to the problem of RSI. Although I would certainly recommend switching to a trackball, this is only going to be a small part of the solution. If the damage is done, you must change the way you interact with your computer. First step: only use your mouse if no other option is available.
As our operating systems and the programs that run on them have become more and more graphically based, reliance on the mouse has grown. So much so that some programs are so poorly designed that they don't even give you the option of using the keyboard. The good news is that most programs these days allow you to control everything there is to control strictly by keyboard.
You may be thinking "How am I supposed to remember all the keyboard shortcuts to all the programs I use?" If you think about it, you may realize that you spend more than 90% of your time using two or maybe three programs using a pretty limited set of commands (e.g. browser, word processor, e-mail). After a short learning curve, you'll find that not only will you give your dominant hand some relief, but that it's a much faster and more efficient way to get things done.
If you're not sure whether the program you're using has keyboard shortcuts, check its help file or search the internet for a list you can print out and put in front of you while you learn. At the very least anything from the menu bar can be accessed by keyboard (press ALT + the underlined letter). Often you will find some keyboard shortcuts listed here as well.
Is the idea of browsing the internet without a mouse new to you? Check out these solutions: the Opera browser has a wonderful feature which allows you to select any link on any web page all by keyboard. By pressing the ',' or comma key, the "finding links" box will pop up.
As you can see from the picture, by typing in some of the letters contained in the link, it will be highlighted in green. To select it simply press enter. For the keen sighted among you, you'll see the same letters highlighted in yellow. To select this link instead simply continue typing until the letter combination is distinct (in this case: rock m) or press F3 to switch between any link with these letters.
For Firefox users, you may want to look into Mouseless Browsing or Hit-a-Hint which are extensions which allow you to select links by typing in the numbers that pop up beside them. Whichever browser you favour, the point is that it can be done.
In the end, limiting the time you sit with your hand hovering over the mouse moving it awkwardly this way and that way repeatedly clicking and clicking and clicking will at least give your dominant hand a fighting chance to begin healing.
Now that you've learned how to mainly use the keyboard, next time I'll talk about leaving it behind as well.
If you have anything to add to these mouseless methods, please leave a comment.
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