• Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
  Place your hands and arms naturally and comfortably, and enjoy the cutting-edge design and improved performance for maximium productivity. The improved split design encourages a more natural hand, wrist, and forearm position and its new curved key layout makes keys easier to reach.

• Logitech M305 Wireless Mouse
  The Logitech Wireless Mouse M305 offers exceptional comfort and cordless convenience. The contoured shape and soft rubber grips keep your hand comfortable, even after long hours at the computer. The precision optical tracking provides responsive, smooth cursor control with high-definition optical tracking, and the tiny nano-receiver gives you a reliable connection with virtually no delays or dropouts.

• Wacom Bamboo Create Pen Tablet
  The Bamboo Create pen and touch tablet opens up a new world for digital art and photo projects. With twice the workspace of other tablets, Bamboo Create gives you plenty of space to express yourself, enabling broad brush strokes or arm movements.

• Razer Nostromo Gaming Keypad
  The Razer Nostromo gaming keypad is designed to give you the upper hand with cutting edge ergonomics designed for intuitive game control while you play in complete comfort. With an arsenal of tournament-grade controls including 16 fully programmable Hype response keys, 8 key maps that you can switch between on the fly, and an 8-way directional thumb pad all integrated into one dedicated gaming keypad, you’re prepared to take on all challengers.

• Logitech Wireless Wave Keyboard and Laser Mouse Combo
  With contoured curves in all the right places, this ergonomic keyboard and mouse give you the support you need to minimize hand and wrist strain—even after spending all day on your computer. More comfort also means you can type as you normally do using the standard keyboard layout you already know.

• Kensington Expert Mouse Optical USB Trackball
  Navigate with greater comfort and precision while saving valuable desktop space with the Kensington Expert Mouse Optical USB Trackball. Its optical technology delivers precise cursor control with the touch of a finger, and trackballs require far less wrist movement than a mouse to provide a pain-free computing experience.

• 2Loop iPad Handle
  Now there really is a convenient and ergonomic way to hold your iPad with the 2Loop iPad Handle. It’s a grip-free, hand-held iPad 2 holder that fits on any two fingers – left or right handed. Just slide them into position and you’re ready to go. It also swivels 360 degrees so you can move from Portrait to landscape with ease.

• Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball
  This hand-friendly wireless trackball lets you work and play wherever you want. No mouse to move around. No tricky keypad leaving your hand feeling cramped. Just roll the ball with your thumb and click. Precision never felt so comfortable. The sculpted shape supports your hand for comfortable control all day long.

• Handstands Beaded Ergonomic Keyboard Wrist Rest
  This ergonomic bead wrist rest is a lightweight, durable wrist rest that fits all popular keyboards and gently massages hands and wrists. It provides optimal comfort and support, and its bean-bag style allows it to fit nearly any keyboard shape.
  

• Mobo Chair-Mount Ergo Keyboard and Mouse Tray System
  The Mobo is a revolutionary keyboard and mouse tray system that attaches directly to your existing office chair, and naturally positions both desktop and laptop computer users in a comfortable and healthy neutral body position, eliminating awkward reaching and stretching while providing unsurpassed comfort and mobility.

Product details provided courtesy of Amazon, based on sales numbers on their e-commerce web site, and reflect the buying behavior of millions of people.

Do you have a favorite game that you think should be on this list? Comment!

Disclosure: RSI-Relief.com is a member of the Amazon Associate program. You can help support our web site by purchasing products through our affiliate links, or directly at Amazon.com. Thanks!

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Online shopping is comparatively mellow. You can take your time, comparison shop right from your easy chair or office, and get the perfect gifts shipped to you, often for free!

The day that has come to be known as “Cyber Monday” takes place the first Monday after Thanksgiving, and many online retailers offer great deals, not only that day, but throughout the holiday season and right up to the big day.

My favorite place to shop online is probably Amazon, which offers an amazing variety of products, including electronics, clothing, sporting goods, toys and games, and, of course, books.

Personally, I’m intrigued by the new Kindle Devices, which are not only the world’s most popular e-readers, but have evolved into table computers and even gaming devices. I don’t have one yet, but am powerfully tempted (hint-hint for any family members reading this!).

Amazon offers a whole week of savings in honor of Cyber Monday, and the great deals continue right up to Christmas, and well beyond.

Hint: If you want to make it easy for others to shop for you, set up your own wishlist with the products you’d most like to recieve, via Amazon’s Gifting Page, and don’t forget to send the link to your friends and family!

Finally, if you’re really stumped for a gift (or just, as many of us are, lazy), Shop Amazon’s Gift Cards, which can be used anytime, and are available in nearly any amount.

Disclosure: RSI-Relief.com is an Amazon affiliate. When you shop at Amazon, by clicking through one of the links listed here, and make a purchase, we’ll earn a small commission. If you do so, thanks! Amazon sales help to keep this valuable web site online, and encourages fresh content and frequent updates!

Happy holidays!

The new model is curved along a more severe arc than Microsoft’s previous keyboard. Its uniformly sized keys should help minimize the initial awkwardness we felt with the older Comfort Curve designs. It also incorporates a slightly elevated portion in the middle of the keyboard, which can help minimize joint pressure. We can’t confirm whether those features will offer tangible physiological benefits to everyone who uses the new keyboard, but you can also find out with relatively little risk when the Comfort Curve 3000 goes on sale in August for $19.99. [ read more ]

The previous generation of the product was the Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000.

I’ve been using the Microsoft Natural Ergo Keyboard 4000 for several years now, am well satisfied with it, but if and when mine dies, I’ll be sure to take a good look at the Comfort Curve series, as well as competing products such as the Logitech K350 Wireless Keyboard.

Here are a couple of preview photos from Microsoft:

And here are the features touted by the manufacturer:

Your hands will thank you

It’s ergonomist approved and helps provide a more natural wrist position that just feels right from the first time you use it.

Contour: it’s familiar, yet modern

All the keys are the same size and in a familiar place, even with the contoured design. The slim, glossy design saves space and makes a statement on your desktop.

Contour key bed

Designed to provide more direct key strikes for less finger effort.

Easy-access media keys

Control your music and videos, and open the Calculator with the touch of a key.

If you’ve used one of the “Comfort Curve” line of keyboards, feel free to comment with your impressions!

Using a home ultrasound machine can help relieve symptoms associated with muscle sprains, joint disorders, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, bursitis, and more. Home ultrasound machines send sound waves deeply into the damaged tissue where the pain resides. These sound waves cause a vibration throughout the injured area causing heat for blood flow to be increased. This delivers more nutrients to the injury site helping relieve pain and stimulating the natural healing process.

In the past, physical therapists performed ultrasound treatments in their offices for pain and rehabilitative treatments. Some individuals suffer with recurring pain where having a home ultrasound machine can provide relief without having to visit the physical therapists office. These machines are portable, lightweight, and safe for home use; and user friendly for easy use also. With the use of an ultrasound gel applied to the injured area, the ultrasound machine is then used by gently moving the wand head over the area. If the physician also prescribes a topical anti-inflammatory medication, this can also be used with the home ultrasound machine to help the medication penetrate deeply into the soft tissues.

Choosing to use a home ultrasound machine can not only provide pain relief and speed healing, but it is also less costly than professional treatments and may help reduce the dependence on painkillers. A home ultrasound machine can also relieve pain immediately upon use because of the sound waves going directly to the painful area. Home ultrasound machines come in different wave frequencies providing deeper penetration with higher frequencies. For chronic or acute pain such as pain from arthritis or bone injuries, a 1 MHz ultrasound machine is recommended. These machines provide deep penetration of 4cm below the skin surface. The 3 MHz ultrasound machine penetrates 2cm into the tissue. This type of machine is often recommended for superficial injuries such as tendonitis. The 5 MHz ultrasound machine penetrates 0.5cm within the skin and is usually used to help eliminate scar tissue, cellulite, fat, scars, sunburns, and other superficial injuries.

About the Author:
EZUltrasound LLC is on a mission to improve the quality of people lives through the use of therapeutic home ultrasound machines. Our dedicated team of home ultrasound therapy specialists is passionate about bringing the technology of home ultrasound to a wider audience. We know that we certainly don’t want pain to rule our lives and we believe you don’t either.

By applying motion to experiences, ErgoMotion™ is redefining ergonomics and changing the future of computing comfort forever!

The Truth About Ergonomic Products
Many ergonomic products on the market today are designed to find the perfect “fixed position” to alleviate stress to the user’s hands and wrists while they work. These products are designed with the belief that by placing the user’s hands and wrists at a “natural” angle this will properly address Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI). However, studies show repetition, not the position, induces RSI such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), proving that any fixed position will not solve the problem. In fact, over time, prolonged work in the same position will only cause injury no matter how natural the position.

Motion Heals
ErgoMotion™ is built on the concept that movement is the key to healthier computing. The medical community has long supported movement to be beneficial to the human body, which promotes blood flow and decreases inflammation—inadequate blood circulation and inflammation are both considered key contributors to RSI. It was Smartfish’s founder, Dr. Jack Atzmon, who’s own experience with RSI lead him to question the effects ergonomic computer products had while he worked. Through Dr. Atzmon’s own research he challenged “fixed-position” products and their claimed benefits, and developed a theory that motion was the solution to true ergonomics.

Smartfish partnered with New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) to study the affects motion would have on a user while they compute. It was the collaboration with HSS that helped develop ErgoMotion™ proving subtle, even incremental movement would increase blood flow and reduce inflammation eliminating the risks of RSI. By applying motion to products, ErgoMotion™ is redefining the future of ergonomics. It is the first technology to actually address the root causes of RSI, and empowering the user to compute healthier.
Read HSS White Papers.

Applying ErgoMotion™
The Smartfish ErgoMotion™ Laser Mouse and ErgoMotion™ Keyboard are the first products to leverage the ErgoMotion™ technology. The ErgoMotion™ Laser Mouse utilizes a patented motion-base that conforms to the user’s natural hand and wrist positions while they work. However, the ErgoMotion™ Keyboard creates a slightly different ErgoMotion™ experience by tracking the user’s work pattern and making incremental changes to itself so the user’s hands and wrists are never in a static position while typing.

Learn more about the ErgoMotion™ Laser Mouse (available in black and white designs) and the ErgoMotion™ Keyboard (also in black and white).

Both the mouse and keyboard are available for pre-order from Amazon (affiliate link).

Here’s what the company has to say about the product:

The MouseBean Hand Rest is designed to provide support, protection and comfort when using a mouse. Following detailed research into the causes of mouse-induced wrist pain, the MouseBean Hand Rest tackles the problem by applying sound ergonomic principles, stylish product design and engineering.

Professional computer users have put the MouseBean Hand Rest through extensive trials and the device has been tested and endorsed by a consulting surgeon.

The MouseBean Hand Rest protects the delicate median nerve that runs through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. It does this by preventing the central part of the wrist from being pressed against a hard surface. The MouseBean Hand Rest supports the hand on the soft fleshy parts either side of the median nerve, and can help to prevent serious nerve damage.

The MouseBean Hand Rest allows the wrist to rotate into a comfortable position and can be used on either hand. The gently rounded base allows it to slide on and off the edge of a mousemat without snagging.

The company also notes that since the pads are made of a squishy gel-like material with a tactile surface, many of their customers use the product not only as a mousepad, but as a stress reliever. Interesting concept.

The MouseBean is available in a wide variety of color combinations to match your mouse, computer, office decor, or just your own whimsical sense of style.

Have you used this product? What did you think of it?

Learn more about the Mousebean Ergonomic Hand Rest at mousebean.com

The NoHands Mouse is a foot-operated mouse that consists of two separate pedals. One pedal operates the pointer, while the other is used for button clicking. By default, a heel-click engages the right mouse button, while a toe-click engages the left mouse button.

Sufferers of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and other hand injuries have restored their mousing quickness and effectiveness with the NoHands Mouse.

The NoHands Mouse eliminates wasteful, repetitive “keyboard-to-mouse” hand movements. With the NoHands Mouse, you can have complete control of the cursor without having to take your hands off the keyboard, or your eyes off the monitor.

For a totally hands-free experience, combine the NoHands Mouse with your choice of voice recognition software or an on screen keyboard.

Learn more about the product at footmouse.com. Here’s a video that explains the product in more detail:

It is certainly an innovative solution, though I imagine it’d take awhile to become proficient with the device. It’s also, at $350, a bit pricey (though no more so than many other specialized ergonomic devices).

But just think of all the fun you could have freaking out your office co-workers — you’d be sitting back with your arms crossed, seemingly relaxing and doing nothing, while your feet were busy pointing and clicking and getting some work done.

Just be careful mixing the NoHands Mouse with toe-tapping music!

I’ve been a long-time user of the IMAK SmartGlove, a sort of glove-like device that you wear on your hand, with a built-in wrist rest made of tiny plastic beads. It’s basically a mousepad that follows your hand around, providing support for both mousing and typing, and not getting in the way of either activity.

I’ve been using the SmartGlove for at least five years, and long ago reached the point where it felt strange to be computing without it. Although the glove is reasonably rugged, they do wear out, and I’ve gone through several of them.

My most recent SmartGlove was getting rather threadbare, so I purchased another glove, only the store didn’t have the SmartGlove in stock, so I went with IMAK’s Computer Glove.

Here’s IMAK’s description of the Computer Glove:

For Wrist Protection, Support, Relief and Comfort

The IMAK® Computer Glove provides superb wrist support, cushioning and protecting your wrist from hard surfaces and laptop heat. IMAK’s ergoBeads™ pad gently massages your palm while supporting your wrist in an ergonomic position.

The IMAK Computer Glove also helps prevent and relieve pain from repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Our Computer Glove is the perfect mobile wrist support for computing and gaming comfort.

• Helps relieve and prevent carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) pain
• Increases your comfort for laptops, desktop computers, writing and more
• Comfortable mobility with full use of hand
• Compact size – ideal for traveling
• ergoBeads cushion protects the wrist
• Breathable cotton Lycra®
• Extra strong elastic on top for added support
• Reversible to fit right or left hand

The Computer Glove is very similar to the SmartGlove, though it’s not quite as long and it doesn’t have the stiff splint in the back. And the sizing seems a little tighter, but not uncomfortably so. Also, instead of being all black, it’s a mottled gray — rather attractive.

If you’re looking for a nice solution to the problem of an uncomfortable wrist rest, give a Computer Glove or SmartGlove a try. I think you’ll like it.

You may also want to check out the complete line of IMAK Products for more innovative health products.

If wrists and hands remain on the desk top or on the keyboard itself, it can become quite uncomfortable to type. The desk and the keyboard surfaces are cold. It doesn’t take very long for the wrists and hands to feel the chill. It can actually make your entire body feel cold. Cold hands when using the computer are uncomfortable and unproductive.

A value-added item to provide warmth and support is a heated computer keyboard wrist pad. One of the warm keyboard pad designs can be put into the microwave to heat. The warmth lasts about 15 minutes. Although novel, the practicality of this style of heated keyboard pad is not practical for most.

An USB (universal serial bus) connected keyboard pad seems to be the best solution for adding warmth and ergonomic support while keyboarding. A heated keyboard pad connects to the computer and draws a low voltage of electricity providing warmth to the pad’s surface. The keyboard pad consists of a cloth cover and a soft sponge-like interior. The arms and wrists rest on the pad at just the right height over the keyboard. The surface of the pad delivers a steady flow of heat. Hands never touch the keyboard or the desk’s surface.

The remarkable component of the USB heated keyboard pad is its healing qualities. The heating element is made of a carbon fiber which produces infrared heat. Infrared heat has been used for many years as a source of healing. The most familiar and natural source of infrared heat is the sun. A heated keyboard pad using a carbon fiber delivers infrared heat without the harmful UV rays of the sun.

Research shows 20-30 minutes of infrared heat treatment daily can improve blood circulation through the blood vessels and reduce symptoms related to RSI (repetitive stress injury). People who suffer from poor circulation, arthritis, diabetes and Raynaud’s welcome warmth throughout the year to deal with cold, painful joints and muscle tension. By using an infrared heated computer keyboard pad, arms, wrists and hands are ergonomically supported in front of the keyboard, and they are kept warm. Plus, the soft pad is a comfortable resting place for arms and elbows.

Heated computer products are somewhat new to the computer accessories market. A warm mouse, heated mouse pad and warm, heated keyboard pad are just the beginning of heated ergonomic computer work aids available today. With the continued use of the computer, and the advancements of technology, we’ll probably see many more heated computer gadgets invented. USB heated computer products are an economical and energy-efficient way to provide warmth and ergonomic support while using the computer.

Article by Anna Miller of http://www.IGMproducts.com. You can purchase the Mouse Hand Warmer from Amazon.com.

The ErgoSlope came into being from the practical needs of the ErgoSlope creator. Working long hours at a desk in a large corporate environment, he frequently jumped between various uncomfortable workstation setups, where wrists rested on the edges of desks and keyboards weren’t anywhere near monitors. Coming home, he worked many more hours sitting in front of his computer on 3D graphics and designs. The pain intensified so much that one day he decided to design a desk around a comfortable seating and working position. Once the desk was crafted, the pain went away almost instantly! So many people liked the idea and requested desktops of their own, he determined to make it available to others. The result is the ErgoSlope!

The ErgoSlope is a gently sloping and notched add on desktop which attaches easily to your existing desk in just seconds. It provides comfortable support for your forearms and elbows and allows for wrist and arm angles which match the natural ‘rest angle’ of your joints.

Combine your ErgoSlope with a positive curvature ergonomic keyboard and a seat which reclines slightly back and you have attained the position closest to the neutral resting position of your joints and which produces the least strain on your lower back, arms, and wrists.

The ErgoSlope inexpensively and easily slopes your desktop up toward your arms for a more comfortable seating position and supports your arms at your elbows, not at your wrists. It is a true “ergonomic” desk which conforms to your general ergonomic needs, it is not a rectangle you mold yourself around. Since you can pull right up into the desk, the desk cradles you and discourages that ‘hunched back’ syndrome. Keyboard trays still support the weight of the arm at the wrists, creating uncomfortable pressure points and contributing to repetitive strain injuries, and often encourage the wrist to bend up and backwards, an un-natural and uncomfortable position for the wrist. The position most conducive to alleviating back strain is to lean back about 15 to 20 degrees from the vertical, and to have your elbows open to their neutral resting position, the only way to achieve this is if your desktop slopes up gently!

Other than the potential problem of everything on your desk eventually slipping off into your lap, this sounds like a neat concept.

It also sounds like something you could prototype for yourself fairly easily, just by propping up the back up your desk a few inches. If you like the feel of it, it might be worth investing in the ErgoSlope.

What do you think? Is this a good idea? Have you tried it?

Learn more about ErgoSlope at ergoslope.com.