OT: anyone have a good wrist brace to recommend?

I know it's slightly off topic but I thought you people would be the ones to ask. I'm getting some wrist and lower arm pain from mouse use, mostly, and think it's time for a proper wrist support brace, but there are so many out there! Does anyone have one to recommend?

fwiw, the pain I get is mostly on the top of the lower arm and back of the hand -- as in, when I'm sitting here typing this it's the part of my arm and wrist that are 'facing' me.

Also, should I get a trackball? is it worth it?

thank you!

Christy

Get a wacom tablet. You won't regret it. Worked great for me for mousing pain.

Graeme

Thanks Graeme,

was it hard to get used to? I've never used one. (also, does it take up a lot of desktop space? I find I never have enough space on the desktop)

I'm no expert, but I was under the impression that most people get pain on the underside of the wrist where the hand connects to the arm, the tendons there. Is it possible that your desk is actually too low?

I've always found that if you're constantly fighting the mouse or keyboard, if executing things feels slow, then it's a problem. For example, most people I know set their mouse tracking and double-click speeds too low, so that they keep having to redo things, or they have to move their hand a mile before the mouse gets to where it needs to be. In my case, I hate trackballs and laptop mouse pads, so they're also much more likely to cause me wrist pain than an ordinary mouse. So-called "Final Cut Pro" keyboards are also a lot less responsive than the standard Apple keyboard, which is actually quite responsive and fairly ergonomic. All these things are very personal, of course, but just the fact that FCP keyboards don't have a dot on the F and J keys, and the depression on top of the keys doesn't adhere to typing standards, makes me more prone to hand fatigue at work, while my home system is set up just right for me.

Try the Wacom tablet or a trackball, but make sure you're not working your hand to death to try to adapt to them. Some tools work great for some people, but you have to trust what your body tells you.


www.derekmok.com

Yep...Wacom user since 1996 here. Learned the pen before the mouse. Who cares about desk space...if it will save your wrist, get a bigger desk Actually, I have an Intuos2 6 x 8 at home that's awesome & takes up as much room as a large mousepad. They make the pens fatter with rubber grips for less "squeezing" strain. I can't work without one:



You may be more comfortable with the "airbrush" pen by Wacom as it fits nicer within your fingers:

[direct.wacom.com]



When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Pretty quick, actually. Wouldn't be without one now. They go down to the size of a mousepad, so I don't find they eat desk space too much.

Graeme

[ I'm getting some wrist and lower arm pain from mouse use, mostly, and think it's time for a proper wrist support brace, but there are so many out there! Does anyone have one to recommend? ]

First, start moving most of your editing skillset to the KEYBOARD. You want to retard that pain form shooting up your arm to your shoulder, where it will eventually migrate, and you will be unable to work. Simple as that.

FCP with over 350 keyboard commands wired by default, with many more available by mapping, particularly supports complete workflow with little mouse intervention, supporting logging, shuttling, capturing, editing/trimming, effects, saving favorites, output, etc.

Second, I have seen a cool floating lower arm support which moves with your forearm, and attaches to the desk. I wish I could remember what it's called. I saw it at a Relax the Back store-- are they still around? I tried it. If I were encountering pain I'd have it here.

For a quick fix while you balance load between keyboard and mouse, Staples carries Velcro® wrist wraps, and I see a lot of people wearing them these days.

HTH

- Loren
Today's FCP keytip:

Cycle bin views with Shift - H !

Final Cut Studio 2 KeyGuide? Power Pack.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

Thank you all!

I know - the keyboard is great. But I'm making the transition from Avid so I'm picking up the shortcuts as I go along. And mostly anyway I use the mouse for navigating rather than selecting tools or whatever. Like I hit RR to select the roll tool and then I have to use the mouse to tell FCP which clips and which side of which clip to trim. Or to double-click on an edit point to go into trim mode (or whatever FCP calls it). Or to navigate through the timeline. Or to go to a particular window. I know I can use command + 1234 to navigate to a particular window but somehow that's just as awkward.

I think I'll look into a tablet. I went to the WACOM website and it's not mentioned anywhere that it's used by video editors - they talk more about photoshop and animation and that sort of thing.

And now I'm wondering - what should my desk height be? I tend to raise up my chair a lot so that my elbow is at roughly a right angle. This is not good?

CD

Quote

I went to the WACOM website and it's not mentioned anywhere that it's used by video editors - they talk more about photoshop and animation and that sort of thing.

Dude...who cares? It's made for Artists. Are Editors not ARTISTS?! All the edit suites at my studio have them (EA Sports - 2 DS Nitris / 2 Adrenaline HD Avid suites), all the suites at my previous studio had them (Golf Channel - 5 FCP suites), $150,000 Quantel systems have incorporated a tablet into their systems, shoould I go on? Don't believe everything you read on a website. Loads of experienced peeps here use them and that's money in the bank.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

At the risk of stating the obvious, the best investment is to see a rheumatologist first.

This is what I did a few years ago when faced with wrist pain.

Without going into the details, it turned out to be one of my better decisions.

I use a wacom for everything (other than the odd game on a mouse). I use it for everything you'd normally mouse for - email, word processing, programming, editing etc. etc. etc.

Graeme

grafixjoe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Dude...who cares? It's made for Artists. Are
> Editors not ARTISTS?! All the edit suites at my
> studio have them (EA Sports - 2 DS Nitris / 2
> Adrenaline HD Avid suites), all the suites at my
> previous studio had them (Golf Channel - 5 FCP
> suites), $150,000 Quantel systems have
> incorporated a tablet into their systems, shoould
> I go on? Don't believe everything you read on a
> website. Loads of experienced peeps here use them
> and that's money in the bank.


Goodness! I just meant that I was concerned it might not be suited to people who aren't actually DRAWING with the pen tool thingy. And I would have thought if it's so great for editing that the company would promote that at least as much as... animation. Anyway, calm down and advice well taken.

thank you - I will do this

By the way, Joe, I think you were talking to a her, not to a dude. Unless "Christy"'s parents were a bit eccentric!

And though I'm not a tablet user myself, I've seen a Flame artist and a Photoshop whiz use it and they are faaast. Whether it's because of the tablet or not, they certain didn't seem to be fighting any of their hardware to do what they wanted. No particular reason not to try one if you have access. That said, I can imagine some people might not adjust to it, in which case you just do what you're comfortable with.


www.derekmok.com

My Dear "cdenes",

I have received an enormous amount of help from members of this board and, at last, I find a subject in which I have the remnants of professional knowledge.

A long time ago I was in the medical field. I cut and rearranged muscles and bones, not movies. Specifically I was in the surgery and treatment of various arthritic conditions related to ligaments. It's a long and boring story. A lifetime ago.

Although my memory is dim, the pain you describe in the wrist (specifically) and in the musculature of the ulna and radius, is frequently related to (so called) tendonitis and/or carpal tunnel syndrome which terms encompass a number of potentially debilitating muscular conditions.

This is not to be taken lightly.

It may be that you are on the cusp of a serious condition which could incapacitate your hands. So you should consider, without delay, seeing a specialist. Preferably a specialist with a very expensive private practice.

Untreated, and in the worst possible circumstances, this can lead to agonizing pain and muscular incapacity.

Act now. From your textbook description, your condition is likely to deteriorate . Treatment is tiresome and prolonged, but has almost immediate results. Using a different mouse or pen or whatever is merely a stopgap. It would appear that you have already caused actual damage which should be treated.

Since I have not examined you, I am only issuing a warning and am not making any "over the internet" diagnosis because I don't want you to sue me. This advice is given in a purely non-professional capacity and in the spirit of friendly advice, not professional opinion.

Harry

I learned on a Flame and a Fire, back in the day ? I didn't learn much, at least not quickly, but that's where I started. Using a tablet on those systems is perfectly natural, but I never adjusted to using a tablet on Final Cut Pro or anything else. I think it's got to do with the overall UI design. On Flame and Fire, the UI was built for a tablet, with relatively big buttons all grouped together at the bottom or in the middle of the screen, under your comp or between your canvas and the timeline. Final Cut isn't built like that. If I tried to run Final Cut with a tablet, I'd have one arm like freakin' Popeye from swiping all over the screen all the time.

Personally, I'm absolutely addicted to control surfaces. There are lots of them available in a lot of different configurations. I just placed an order for a new Tascam FW-1082 for use with Soundtrack. I don't spend that much time mixing audio, but when I do, using the mouse to wiggle the little on-screen faders is pretty rage-inducing.

There's definitely something to be said for providing the computer with a sensible control surface or two, rather than trying to do everything with the mouse.

>This is not to be taken lightly.

And that was the Surgeon General's warning from Harry...

I usually have my mouse probably slightly further in than most guys, and my seat is usually cranked real low, so my entire forearm rests on the table and it's use a bit more arm movements when i'm dragging stuff huge distances. Nothing beats a good gaming mouse, as they are usually ergonomically designed, light and very comfortable.

I like the feel of the new mac keyboards too, except that the USB drives are a bit too far in, making it hard to unplug and the Function keys are kinda tiny, so sometimes I end up squinting to see the keys, especially after a hard day's night...

I've seen an online editor on the tablet, and he was FAST.

And YES, seek professional help if you're feeling recurring pains... and for Christ's sake, get a life! Get out into the woods for a jog, go fishing or something!



www.strypesinpost.com

Yeah, strypes, matey; try fly fishing with tendonitis. "cdenes" should have a memorable physical experience casting with an inflamed wrist. Great suggestion.

Have fun.

Harry.

harry,

I had no idea you were a Doctor! ...and an Orthopedic Surgeon! Wow...much respect, my friend. My Wife just had her second abdominal hernia surgery today (to repair the first surgery mesh patch that was faulty). Fascinating stuff talking with the Surgeon afterwards. I think in pictures as it is so it was like he was narrating a movie in my head of the operation.

I need a vacation from this business

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

It was a lifetime ago and - I stress - I am no longer qualified. And certainly not under US law. So I almost certainly should not be shooting my mouth off like that. But I only intended my statement as a warning and not medical advice.

Very sorry to hear that your wife has endured a messy time under the knife. That kind of pain isn't funny at all.

I wish her a speedy recovery.

Best

Harry.

Yeah I second Harry's warning - I worked with creative that had severe issues with his hands and he eventually got it seen to but the recovery was much longer than it should have been had he gone earlier. He also had a bad back due to slouching in the chair something that everyone here should be aware of too!

I also used to get twinges in the lumbar region due to bad ergonomics in the chair at a previous workplace. So now I have a good office chair and a kneeling chair which I swap between and my back is fine.

A good posture is not just Victorian good manners!

Definitely get a Wacom - I just bought a Bamboo to replace my old PenPartner for my MacBookPro - not because it was broken but simply cus it is smaller and gives more space in my laptop bag.

Also I bought a new Wacom A5 wide special edition as its the perfect size for my 30" ADC again my old Wacom Intuos A4 is working perfectly but the new one gives me a little more desk space. I even have a VERY old Wacom from the mid 80s that still works! Very reliable and built to last.

I have NEVER had an issue with RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) or other arm/hand related damage whilst using a Tablet, using a mouse however all day will often give me slight cramp (mouse/claw hand).



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

Hey Ben,

How's that Bamboo workin' out with graphics programs (Photoshop / Illustrator / etc)? Is it sensitive enough to handle fine retouch / SPFX work?

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Quote

Many reasons here to heed Walter Murch's advice; Edit standing up. Course none of us are going to do that.

The 5 years I spent at the GolfChannel I worked on an elevated workstation with a high back barstool-type chair with a footrest ring. Most of the time I pushed that stupid chair aside and worked standing up (all monitors directly at eye level) and I noticed that my bad back (2 desiccated disks in my lower back between L4 & L5 / L5 & S1) felt better & got stronger. I also felt a sense of adrenaline as I was aware of my legs all the time and wasn't sitting there like a lump for 10 to 16 hours. It actually helped me creatively.

Michael Horton
-------------------

512 levels of pressure and 2540dpi is smooth as silk...


...yes



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

> Many reasons here to heed Walter Murch's advice; Edit standing up. Course none of us are going
> to do that.

I do it sporadically. Not necessarily ergonomic, but it helps break the frozen perspective on your footage -- watching with hands off the keyboard and mouse forces you to watch rather than do things.


www.derekmok.com

All this talk is making my wrists ache - psychosomatically!



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

Quote

Many reasons here to heed Walter Murch's advice; Edit standing up. Course none of us are going to do that.

The 5 years I spent at the GolfChannel I worked on an elevated workstation with a high back barstool-type chair with a footrest ring. Most of the time I pushed that stupid chair aside and worked standing up (all monitors directly at eye level) and I noticed that my bad back (2 desiccated disks in my lower back between L4 & L5 / L5 & S1) felt better & got stronger. I also felt a sense of adrenaline as I was aware of my legs all the time and wasn't sitting there like a lump for 10 to 16 hours. It actually helped me creatively.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Thats generally his point. Since editing is somewhat musical, why not dance.




Michael Horton
-------------------

I want voice control.

"ok, flip that .. oh doh, wait, I meant flop.. flop that .. uh.. now rotate 180 degrees, clockwise and .. put the .. the stupid .. oh dammit. Undo, undo, undo, undo..."

I want to edit like this:







When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.