Just curious as sometimes my right wrist aches a bit, maybe rsi, i dunno, just thought maybe to spare that i might try the left hand, but i don't know if it's a process of weeks, months, did anyone try changing it?

[EDIT] If you got experiences with ergonomical mouses, feel free to share them too.

3 years ago*

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Yes, unless you have those one-side ergonomic mouses. Just swap RMK and LMK, makes it easier to switch. It took me 3-4 days tho to get used to it, but not the to level of FPS games ofc.

3 years ago
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It's a regular (but very expensive logitech pro game mouse) i had a job once with a guy that was barely in his twenties and already had to use one of those ergonomic mouses. Point and click adventures, some browsing and administration to begin with is already enough for me.
Seems people all get a hang of it fairly quickly.

3 years ago
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Haven't tried this but I tried to learn to write with my left hand. It's not that hard, just requires some training. And I believe learning mouse is easier because it's mirrored.

Also, this reminds me this video. Though using mouse is not motor learning so expect it to be a lot sooner than 8 months. :)

3 years ago
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I tried writing too with my other hand (i am actually left) but found it very hard actually, had an art teacher in school who could write with both hands at the same time.

3 years ago
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I thought it as functional but of course it's not as good as my right hand's writing, it's readable and that's it. Reaching to the same calligraphic level would be very hard indeed.

If you're already lefty, using mouse with your left hand is probably more easier than other people I guess. You may even feel more natural that way.

3 years ago
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Well not like my normal handwriting is so readable. :p when you barely have to write anymore in this day and age (unless you got a job that requires it).

You might be absolutely right, can't certainly hurt to start giving it a go, i really thought it could haven taken months.

3 years ago
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I understand. :) Probably I would too barely use pens if I don't involve in calligraphy. And I know that if you don't write for a while it gets weaker. Constant practice is obligatory.

Maybe become a fluent takes months but for basic usage (other than gaming stuff) I believe it wouldn't take that much, more likely a couple of weeks should be enough.

3 years ago
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Ooh, if you have a repetitive strain injury you need to watch that. It will happen even faster to your other wrist since it won't be as strong as the one you use all the time. Get a wrist support strap to support the weaker wrist that you're learning to mouse on, and rest the injured one.

Might be wise to use a wrist support in the future as a RSI has a tendency to come back once it happens one time. Give your wrist time to recover. Don't put a wrist strap on and continue the behaviour just because it doesn't hurt with it on. That will make it worse in the long run. Give it a rest, then start wearing a wrist strap going forward to prevent further injury.

I have some experience with RSI that I got from a job I worked in years ago. I'm fine now, but if I am going to be typing a lot, I strap up my wrist.

3 years ago
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I don't know for sure, also a terrible shoulder pain on that same right side when i wake up, the colder it is, the worse it gets.
Considering how much i played games, well beyond the average it could very well be possible i think.
It seemed to have gone for awhile but now coming back, my mother has arthritis, which i believe could be inherited, so maybe that's a start of it too, no clue.

Thanks will look into wrist support, my old logitech keyboard had a nice soft wrist support, but leds went dead, and with the new keyboad i got (which was a newer model then the old one and even more expensive) but for some reason they left out the wrist support there.

3 years ago
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Only took me a couple of hours to be browsing and doing easy stuff without thinking too much about it, same with writing. Typing took a bit longer but that was more to do with my arm defaulting to a WASD position I think. Anything where you're not doing complicated stuff with the rest of your arm you'll get the hang of quite quickly.

Learning how to throw a ball though? Utterly impossible :)

3 years ago
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Thanks, oh that seems fairly quick.

Or writing unless you are ambidextrous. :p

3 years ago
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Yeah thought writing would be a nightmare cause my left hand has always been kinda useless but just sitting down and commiting to it for a solid couple of hours really worked, the awkward weirdness went fairly quickly and after that it's just muscle memory like anything else. It's a bit odd to move your hand inwards rather than outwards but do it enough times and you just stop thinking about it. As the person above said though I guess it depends what you want out of it, the fine control to be popping heads in CS will take time.

GL with it.

3 years ago
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Thank you.

3 years ago
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You get used to the change quickly as far as pointing and clicking goes. However, mouse+keyboard coordination is a different story. Games that use WASD and pals or 1-5 and F1-F5 keys will be a problem. These keys are on the left side of the keyboard and so, it's difficult to use your right hand with these. I imagine you can, but everything will be mirrored. You'd need custom key mapping to the right side if the game supports it. I'm right-handed but I started using the mouse with my left hand to relieve the pain from the RSI in my right hand. I don't play as much as I did in the past, but when I play games like these, I just switch to my right hand for the duration of the playing session.

3 years ago
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Thank you, yeah maybe i start first with that i can, and what not then i'd use my right hand too. Just the browsing, adminitration, maybe a point and click adventure game, if i'd already could learn to do that with my left hand, would already relieve some.

3 years ago
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My right hand had surgery on it last month, I switched to using my left hand for the mouse and other than Day One oddities, and experimenting with making right click left, and left click right (I ended up going back to left is left click, right is right click), it feels pretty natural to me. I can play games and do pretty much everything with the computer left handed now. Although my typing speed dropped drastically.

3 years ago
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It's all much more quicker then i actually thought it would be, thanks.

Typing should be a better of time and practice i am sure.

3 years ago
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It makes it feel like someone else is holding your....mouse ;)

3 years ago
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You can train (and memorize) basics within few days, but even months is not enough to master other hand to level that you can do something responsible like work or playing fps. Has similar problem few months ago, and i even working in photoshop a little after month of immobilizing right hand, but it is so clunky and unusual. But it is okay for basics - surfing internet, reading, editing, even using gamepad in games, completed mass effect 1-3 with wrist support :) So if you want to reduce stress on the arm - do in in usual but regular doings.

3 years ago*
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Thanks.

3 years ago
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It depends on your brainactivity tbh.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-asymmetric-brain/201909/the-left-handed-brain

To force yourself to use your left hand even if your right hand could do all the work without problems can even lead to headaches.

3 years ago
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I am guessing that's just temporary? I write with left but i mouse f.e with right, cutting with scissors f.e also right.

3 years ago
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Unless you're talking about playing a fast-paced FPS game, I don't see any difference using a mice with either hand. But perhaps that's because I'm used to switching between holding a graphics tablet pen with one hand while using a mouse with the other hand.

3 years ago
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I started using mouse as a kid while being left handed, and I used it in only way it was available - on the right side, just like everybody else. I recently (2-3 years ago) tried using mouse with my left hand, and while not as precise as with right hand, learning how to do it is certainly doable. Just like Resebonbon said above, don't count on being master shooter in FPS games.

3 years ago
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Nah those i barely do, so that's totally okay, and i can always still use my right hand then for those few occasions where left might proof hard.

3 years ago
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I did this several times while at work.
but haven't tried with gaming.

3 years ago
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shouldn't be too bad to just switch if all you're doing is browsing the web. gaming is something different though, especially if you need to be quick and snappy. i don't know much about ergonomics, if you saw my setup, you'd probably laugh.. i doubt anyone uses their pc the same way as i do. buuut, maybe check out something like a vertical mouse? probably not that exact one, it was just the first thing that showed up when i googled it. i'm sure logitech makes a decent one.

3 years ago
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+1, the vertical mouse works great, though not the best thing for gaming, but for normal use, it feels more natural in the hand once you get used to it.

3 years ago
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Maybe that's an option too, what the poster below said, i wonder how it would be for gaming though, and not too mention i got a fairly new 100+ euro mouse.

3 years ago
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I've switched to a vertical mouse some months ago and use it for everything even games like Hunt: Showdown. It is a bit strange in the beginning, but I got used to it pretty quick. Also the pain I had in my wrist before is nearly gone since I use one. ^^
Only thing I discovered is that you'll need a "good" mouse-pad because the bigger surface of my mouse produces more friction.

3 years ago
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Thank you, that sounds very positive, which one did you buy?

Just good or also big? I got a Corsair double sided mouse pad with aluminimum or something they also use in airplanes, so i assume that's good, but it's not a big pad.

3 years ago
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https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B07RRTL74C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I bought this one. Although I didn't have a clue which one to buy, but it seemed right for me and it was.
My pad isn't that big either, because I don't like to move my mouse like hell and instead set the sensitivity higher, it just needs to be very smooth. ^^
Oh, and I do not doubt that there are better mouses out there I just needed something afordable.
Edit: I don't use the little extra pad, you can attatch to the mouse.

3 years ago*
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Thanks, i think trying this mouse in my left hand and maybe a wrist band just first if that works (and is cheapest for now), which might also just give some support if use a controller.

if i want to go vertical, i wouldn't mind investing in a good one even if it's a 80 euro logitech but also should have like started saving 3 months ago, for furniture for moving out (even though i still entered a draw for the option to buy a ps5 but i didn't win :p).

3 years ago
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I usually have some carpal tunnel pains and I change the mouse to the other hand. At the beginning it is weird, afterwards it is ok. Scrolling, clicking and most of the basic staff is easy. As others said, no heavy duty gaming and you will have no problems adjusting in a day or two.

3 years ago
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Thank you.

3 years ago
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I'm pretty good with my left hand, but can't do too fast aim, or precise movements, I guess that is hard for everyone for their non-dominant hand. Point and clicks, turn based stuff are pretty easy, definitely can work if you put some effort, and mostly time into it. Like a week, and afterwards you can rely on that memory to be minimum serviceable for these games, even if returning months later.
(I pulled my arm when I was writing my thesis. It hurt so much that couldn't use the mouse for more than 30-60 seconds at a time, and thought it's the best if I change up my hands for a while to give a chance for healing.)

3 years ago
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Thank you.

3 years ago
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It really depends on the person, and if you're left handed, you've got more than a little practice doing this since you've been born.
If the mouse is one of the asymmetric ones (ergonomic...), then it will be a lot harder. Best option is grab another mouse, even if it's a cheap one.
If the mouse has side buttons, those will get hit a lot when you don't want, so I'd suggest turning off or disabling those buttons. If your mouse app doesn't have that function, there are free ones out there that will give you that capability.
As to switching buttons. Righties assume you have to mirror over the buttons, but that's false. For many people it's just as easy, if not easier, to not switch the left/right button functions. Try it for yourself and find out which you're comfortable with.
I'm a leftie, and the only thing I switch is the side of the desk the mouse is on. All but one of my friends that happen to be lefties do the same.
If you're planning to switch hands for some kind of competitive play, just don't. You'll probably never get your alt hand mousing skill up to the level of your primary.
As to wrists getting painful, yeah, it's a good way to get some relief for your primary hand, I had to do that at work a lot. Also look into getting a wrist brace to use. It'll take some getting used to, but it still helps reduce the wrist strain. Put it on BEFORE your wrist starts hurting. If you do it afterwards it just helps reduce further strain, so it's better to prevent as much strain as possible before the pain sets in.
If you're going to someplace, like a college for instance, and they've basically tied the mouse down on the wrong side so it can't be moved to your primary, go and COMPLAIN! About 15% of the populace is left handed, and screwing over either handedness is F'd up! The is NO reason for the mice to be limited like that. It's not like a longer cord reach will result in stolen mice or somebody hanging themselves with it or whatever.
(Sure, it's possible to go all legal on them with that kind of discrimination, but don't. Just point out that you can't use the mouse on the wrong side like that and need it to be corrected. Most people will be willing to help, even if they don't know who to call at first. If you start mentioning legal action however, you just became the enemy and will likely be restricted to only talking with the legal representatives instead of getting the problem dealt with, so definitely not a solution.)

Being a leftie in an 85% right handed world comes with constant issues, even in the computer field. Righties sometimes have to deal with these as well, but usually only due to injury or similar unexpected occurrences. I know I went into this discussion more than most people would have expected, but if you made it this far, thanks, try to follow the advice, and realize that a good chunk of the population has to deal with this stuff on a daily basis, so yeah, we've thought about it a lot.

3 years ago
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I got a normal logitech mouse, already got the side buttons turned off, even in my right hand i kept pressing them by accident, but the games i play or stuff i do i don't really need them.

I could look into a wrist brace, thanks.

There was a time when you were a leftie in school you'd get hit in on our hands, till you learned to write right, it's ridiculous really, glad i missed that.

3 years ago
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I had a similar issue and switched from right-handed to left-handed use for the mouse. It didn't take long to get used to that, and helped with wrist pain. Just don't expect to be playing FPS games ever!

I considered (but never tried) a Vertical Mouse for a while, but what is working for me right now (i.e. no pain) is a TKL keyboard and trackball.

Another option is to just use the mouse far less. It's a stupid invention. Learn keyboard shortcuts for everything you can, or use something like AutoHotKey to add your own.

3 years ago
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Thanks.

I wonder if such a vertical mouse (like someone also posted above) is good for gaming.

And i think learning keyboard shortcuts would not be for me, i am already not good with remembering combo's in fighting games why i just mash buttons. :p
There is stuff like Directory Opus, while i grown up with pc tools in the past, and i tried it several times, but couldn't get used to it anymore somehow.

3 years ago
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OMG that takes me back. Dual pane Directory Opus on the Amiga was a revelation!

3 years ago
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I've never tried with a mouse, but using a track pad with the left hand feels pretty natural so I guess it shouldn't be that hard. Now I'm curious about giving this a try.

3 years ago
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Never too late in life to start something. :p

3 years ago
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I played a lot of fast paced or competitive shooters and still do. When i was younger i never had any pain even after whole day of gaming but nowadays i really need small breaks because my hand or wrist (sometimes my whole forearm) hurts after couple of hours if i push myself too hard (and im not even that old :( ). For this few years i started to use my left hand while resting other one. It's not really that hard to get used to but it's need practice. But of course it's not like my right hand, surfing net or playing turn-based games is fine but doing other stuff than that things impossible for me. Also sometimes i use touch pad with my both hands but it isn't much better than using left hand. [Left hand for pressing buttons and right hand for moving the cursor, it's better than using mouse when my hand hurts.] In my opinion using left hand for mouse easier than using keyboard with right arm. Can't adept my right hand for left side of keyboard. Learning new tricks much easier at young ages but it's feel like after a certain age you are own your own.

3 years ago*
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How old/young are you now? I always thought well when you get to around 70 you might start to feel some old age problems, but i learned that already starts when you're 30. And when you get warned about how drinking/smoking is bad, noone really warns you for that. :p

3 years ago
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I'm in my early 20's but sometimes i feel talking like really an old man. Quarantine made me older :D But to be honest when I compared myself at age of 16 or 18 and now, i can see a difference, not much of a change but a difference. I don't feel particularly "old" but feel like getting older. This might be quarter-life crisis but i dunno. But i feel like start to see consequences of my careless lifestyle. Can't imagine my late 30s. D:

3 years ago
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Quarantine is hard on a lot of people, offcourse the drinking, smoking or even drugs is bad, but many fall for that these days because they don't know how to deal with themselves, or others they are forced to live with, there is a big increase in addictions.
Key is the older you get, the less things go "naturally" and even so, and while it's easy to say exercize is key, and i should take walks too or do something, but when you live in a country where it's raining or storming a lot. Wouldn't mind a threadmill but no room right now.

Better not, it's depressing. ;) Mid twenties one moment i was fine, then suddenly i had diabetes type 2, inherited heart condition, possible liver thing (it's a painstaking long process getting that figured out, having done only 7 bloodtests, really gonna press on some tests next time), stress, now the whole quarantaine thing too. A female friend of mine suddenly started developing pains (yet she has a fulltime household with kids, job, even did a study) so sometimes i feel like i am complaining, when she must have had it even harder.

3 years ago
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I'm left handed but I use the right hand for the mouse all my life but I just tried it and it isn't that bad with the left handeither (of course with switched primary and secondary button) But I just have a plain cheap mouse so no special buttons or something, this would make it more difficult I think.

But overall it's always a good experience (and as I read also good for the brain) to try to do some things with the other hand. Brush teeth for example is something which is quite weird for me with the "right" hand ;)

3 years ago
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Thanks, i only use the left and right mouse button too, i don't even use the scroll wheel. All those fancy stuff, it even has LED which i just turn off, don't need it.

You can always brush electrical, maybe that's easier :p Any other stuff you can do with right?

3 years ago
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I can't think of a single thing I can't do with right other than writing (which also would work if I do it very slowly) 🤔

Some things might be a little weird and slower (like toothbrushing ;)) but others I can do equally good with both hands (like for example cutting with scissors, using screwdrivers/wrenches). Some things I might even do easier with right, as I always do them with right like using the mouse, can opener (I never had a left version in case there is one) or smart phones (unfortunatelly many apps/sites are not usable with the left hand)

As a kid I always used to troll my brothers when playing badminton as I switched the racket between both hands all the time. The only thing which I could do better with left was the serve. 😂

3 years ago
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Yeah sounds basically a lot like me, it's weird how lefties can do certain things left or right, and even those things be different for each person.

Not really experienced an app or site not really being useable with a left hand, but i barely am on my phone and haven't used a tablet in 3 years since mine fell on a soft piece of carpet from 30 cm and became so slow ever since, is it really that much of an issue? When i am on a phone i do swipe, scroll and point with left.

Maybe you could have been a good pro badminton player then, and also fool any professional. ;)

3 years ago
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After decades of constant computer usage, it isn't surprising I've developed wrist strain and carpel tunnel. While I can use the mouse left handed, I am a bit slower using the buttons because I am not consistent with it. (Nor do I configure it for lefties.) However, I have an MMO mouse at home, so that makes using it left handed quite moot. However, some of the things that help with the strain is investing in memory foam wrist rests for my keyboard and mouse. Wearing a wristband on my mouse-using wrist also helps restrict movement and is actually quite comfortable to use alongside the mouse wrist rest.

3 years ago
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Some suggested that before, certainly looks like a good option, thanks.

3 years ago
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Are there like special brands good for it, or would basically any band do btw?

3 years ago
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Nope, no specific brand. Although you might want to go to a store that carries them, because you might find that you like the gel/memory foam, or either/or better. If you think you'd be okay with buying it outright and without testing, you can pick up both the KB & mouse combo wrist rests and wristbands for around $25 USD on Amazon. Not sure how much it would cost you in EU, sorry.

3 years ago
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My wrists hurt every few days from playing too many games, what I would recommend is getting medication that specifically focuses on reducing swelling on muscles. That's what my problem is, the muscles are scraping against each other when I click or type and that causes inflammation, so I got medication that reduces it, so I take that every few days, and then it doesn't really bother me :).

3 years ago
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Yeah but maybe that's very specific for you, like my mother got arthritis and it's basically deal with it without any medication, think RSI is also kinda sort of a weardown of your wrist i think?

3 years ago
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RSI leads to arthritis, that's why you really need to take care of it. Footballers often get arthritis in their knees, pianists in their fingers and so on. It's from repetitive strain of the same area. It wears down the cartilage from doing the same thing over and over. Using medication to dull pain is actually just allowing you to worsen the problem without feeling the pain. Never, ever do that.

When I was on anti-inflammatory + opioids for my back, I ensured only to take enough to take the edge off my pain so that I'd know the pain was still there and not do something to make my situation worse. You only get one body, so take care of it as much as possible.

When I mentioned "wrist support" above, I wasn't talking about a support for your keyboard. I meant something like this: https://www.boots.ie/boots-advanced-adjustable-wrist-support-10172868, (medium support is prob fine, I just picked first link that popped up) and you can buy in any pharmacy. Get one, wear it. But at the same time, rest your wrist for a week or so. Do not use a mouse even with the support on. It might feel better, but you need to let it heal. When you are better, continue to wear this support every time you are doing a lot of the same thing, like mouse clicking, that caused the RSI. It will prevent further injury. ;)

I use one of these at home (I have had more discreet ones that hide under sleeve for work, so people won't be asking why I wear it. lol) . I don't all of the time because I generally use a controller for gaming. But if typing a lot, or doing something that will cause my wrist to act up again, I wear it pre-emptively.

3 years ago*
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i think u could get used to it just like ur right hand, but i honestly dunno cuz ive never tried.

3 years ago
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3 years ago
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