Ergonomic Mouse

The primary design element of truly ergonomic mice  is to rotate your hand 45 or more degrees to alleviate strain on your forearms.  This has led to a number of different variations to combat the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

• Common options are otherwise normal mice with some extra padding to make them lopsided. The likely benefit of these is minimal but they are the most familiar to users and are often bought for their looks rather than functionality.
• More creative styles look more like a joystick but some doctors have complained that they can cause too much pressure on the thumb.
• One compromise is a vertical mouse,  one that has been completely turned 90 degrees on its side. Due to the forced shift in one direction, southpaws should be careful when selecting an ergonomic mouse since they may need to buy a specific left-handed model as an alternative.

An interesting side note on discussing mice is that the numerical keypad on the right of most desktop keyboards may actually be part of the problem.  While useful in accounting and gaming, the keypad forces right handed people to hold mice further to the right than they would otherwise -- causing unnecessary tension.  Though keyboards  exist that move the keypad to the left side or simply removes it in favor of a more compact shape, interestingly these have all been flat and none that follow any other ergonomic contours.

Other manufacturers may label standard two or three button mice as ergonomic, but those typically only refer to a smooth surface and aesthetics, unless compared to now antiquated boxy designs from 20+ years ago.

Standard
	Standard Ergonomic Mouse The oldest of ergonomic mice were mostly made for their futuristic looks; aesthetics over physical benefit. Either wired or wireless. Options include number of buttons (usually two or three) and scrolling button. Easy sell to the average user. Inexpensive.

Joystick
	Ergonomic Joystick Mouse Often designed by ergonomists or chiropractors. Usually wired. Thumb button is usually set apart from the rest of the unit. Many resemble a flight simulator controller. More expensive than most mice.

Vertical
	Vertical Mouse A (more or less) normal mouse rotated 90 degrees. Usually wired. Requires different models for left and right handed users. Looks awkward. More expensive than most mice.

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