-
Art of the Wrist Spint – y’ouch!
My mentor 15 years ago told me one in three editors gets Carpal Tunnel, guaranteed. I just joined the club, wrist splint and all. Can’t believe how much the ol’ efficiency has gone down in a simple week! I’m jumping between the mouse and the Wacom tablet. Any veterans with better ideas? Trackball? Go lefty?
______
/-o-o-\
\`(=)`/…Pixel Monkey
`(___)Just finished editing “Frank Lloyd Wright’s Buffalo” – see it on PBS & PBS-HD Sept 4, 2006 at 10pm (check local listings!).
Yes, that is Labor Day.
-
10 Replies
-
Learn keyboard shortcuts and use a Wacom. Also, make sure that you desk and chair are at the right height (google search and you should be able to find some answers for proper posture).
I would also suggest taking breaks at regular intervals and to do some stretching of the hands, arms, wrists and shoulders before and after a session.
I was suffering from shoulder and neck problems until I made the swtich from mouse to pen, and before I changed my posture.
Exercise can also help alieve some of the symptoms. Wrist curls can strengthen your wrists and forearms.
Good luck.
Mark
-
I tried several different mouse alternatives. I never felt comfortable with the tablet as a mouse substitute. I tried the Kensington Expert Mouse trackball and fell in love with it. No more wrist strain.
https://us.kensington.com/html/2200.htmlBill Carnicelli
Carnicelli Media Productions Inc -
This article in the CreativeCOW library by Dave Anselmi might also help:
https://www.creativecow.net/articles/anselmi_dave/ergonomics/index.html
Kathlyn Lindeboom
The Mistress of Mmmooooo! -
If you work on macs (don’t know about PC), you can map many repetitive functions of various programs to voice command, and the latest version that comes with OSX is actually pretty good at recognizing. While it works better if you wear a headset boom mic, In a relatively quiet setting, the built-in on my imac hears and obeys me just fine. There are a number of uber-inputs on the market like a trackball with, I dunno, over a dozen hotkeys on it, where you can plant the arm and hand in the most comfortable position and only twitch a finger ever so slightly to get something done.
I personally enjoy tablet for most things, and will keyboard with the stylus trapped between a couple knuckles on my tight hand, then flip in down and use the stylus for a lot of things as needed.
But I agree the biggest, most effective improvements you can make are going to be ergonomic ones.
-
Thanks all – I’ll try the Kensington, definitely.
______
/-o-o-\
\`(=)`/…Pixel Monkey
`(___)Just finished editing “Frank Lloyd Wright’s Buffalo” – see it on PBS & PBS-HD Sept 4, 2006 at 10pm (check local listings!).
Yes, that is Labor Day.
-
Sorry to hear about your splint. It’s scary to think how it could get so bad in the course of a week! I don’t know if it was the FLW Buffalo project that did you in but if it caused you such pain I guess we should all see what you paid such a high price to work on. What is the show about?
Chaz S.
-
[Chaz Shukat] “I don’t know if it was the FLW Buffalo project that did you in but if it caused you such pain I guess we should all see what you paid such a high price to work on. What is the show about?”
Thanks for asking – please check out the program’s website:
https://www.wned.org/productions/flwb/default.aspand the production website:
https://www.wned.org/productions/flwb/production.aspThis was one of those extremely, extrEMEly rare opportunities where the producer and I were given total control of the story, and a decent amount of cash to throw at it. Naturally in that case, we went all-out with what we thought was the highest level of artistic and technical quality. It was a joy to work on – minus the numb fingers and wrist stings.
Let me know what you think!
______
/-o-o-\
\`(=)`/…Pixel Monkey
`(___)Just finished editing “Frank Lloyd Wright’s Buffalo” – see it on PBS & PBS-HD Sept 4, 2006 at 10pm (check local listings!).
Yes, that is Labor Day.
-
Slightly o/t but I use a set of japanese relaxation balls to work the kinks out of my fingers after having them wrapped around a mouse for several hours. Don’t think it would work for the wrists but does wonders for my fingers!
Doug
-
Become a director and use the arm to drink coffee while YOU get a chance to sit on the comfy couch looking at the back of an editor’s head.
-
[Arson XL] “Become a director and use the arm to drink coffee while YOU get a chance to sit on the comfy couch looking at the back of an editor’s head.”
Hee hee, this is the BEST answer! Excellent idea.
______
/-o-o-\
\`(=)`/…Pixel Monkey
`(___)A picture says 1000 words. Editors give them meaning.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up