Case: Sound Advice on Tendonitis
You won’t usually see Matt Faulkner’s work, but you most certainly will have heard it. A talented post production sound designer, Matt is a partner at Method Post and has worked on TV programmes including Repair Shop (BBC), The Gift (BBC) and Secret Shopper (Channel 4). As a creative veteran he is also familiar with tendonitis and the risks that it can have in his working day.
Matt Faulkner
Dubbing Mixer, Sound Editor, Post Advisor
Method Post
Many hours in front of the computer can trigger tendonitis
Matt uses an industry leading audio production platform at a computer workstation. Up to twelve hours work a day, for many years finally started to cause issues with the tendons in his hand and made it difficult to work. It was becoming very painful to use a normal mouse and he tried a succession of ergonomic alternatives which weren’t up to the job.
30 Day Trial & Error
Matt’s experience is a common one in an industry of freelance workers. Without the direct advice of an occupational health team as with larger companies, it’s tempting to go shopping for solutions to address painful conditions like tendonitis, but this can sometimes be an expensive journey.
“Trackballs and joysticks didn’t help, so I decided to take advantage of a 30-Day Free Trial of Unimouse. It isn’t the cheapest mouse on the market, but I’m glad I gave it a go because the clever design means that it feels like an extension of my hand. I bought it at the end of the trial because it alleviated the pain I was experiencing.”
“Unimouse just works straight out of the box. Once you’ve adjusted it to the angle you want and become comfortable, you can just get on with the work you need to do. "
Vertically Challenged
Contour Design’s 30-Day Free Trial is designed to allow customers to decide for themselves if an ergonomic mouse is right for them. A vertical mouse like Unimouse places the hand in a more natural handshake position, but for many it’s a new way of working and takes a little time to adapt to.
“It took me a few days to get used to it, simply due to muscle memory from using a regular mouse. Very soon I was back up to speed and I tend to use it mostly in the fully upright position which is perfect for easing my condition. The 30-Day Free Trial meant that I could take the time I needed to see how I got on before I bought it.”
Switched On
Sometimes ergonomic equipment can come with unexpected drawbacks; the need for manual adjustment, installing drivers or configuring with software. Unimouse doesn’t present this problem.
“Unimouse just works straight out of the box. Once you’ve adjusted it to the angle you want and become comfortable, you can just get on with the work you need to do. I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone – even if you do not suffer from tendonitis or other RSI-conditions.”