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Lots of choices are now available.  Traditional mice are now made with a laser instead of a track ball and are more accurate.  A miniture mouse might alleviate pressure underneath the span at the base of my fingers.  One mouse design is vertical, like using a joystick or holding a bar of soap on its side.  Touch pads are available which can be located almost anywhere, such as at the base of your keyboard instead of to the side.

your index fingef\r is the most sccu

http://www.keyalt.com/kpointer.htm

http://www.keytools.com/

http://www.keybowl.com   orbiTouch and Keybowl

http://www.animax.no/

http://www.fentek-ind.com/ergmouse.htm

Ergonomic Finger Track Mouse

"A Perfect Mouse Solution"

Features:

 Click for Shipping/Handling charges.

For further information or to place an order please call us at 800-639-0710, 928-639-0710, or complete the secure

Wacom Graphire graphics tablet, mouse, and pen.  ($99)

Wacom has been a leader in computer graphics tablets for a long time now. The Graphire tablet is available in six colors, and comes with a removable pen stand and a transparent overlay for easy tracing. For this review I used the graphite Graphire (I had no choice in the matter of color; it is a refurbished unit I got cheaper than the MSRP of US$99, which, by the way, has not changed since it was first introduced). The Graphire is actually a pen, mouse & tablet set that serves almost any input needs in a space no larger than a mousepad. The Graphire Pen is pressure sensitive, so you can edit your digital photos, sketch out an idea, or add a note to your e-mail. Included in the set for Macintosh is the Graphire PowerSuite of software, with Photoshop LE and Painter Classic! The Graphire pen comes complete with a programmable DuoSwitch, built-in eraser, and 512 levels of pressure sensitivity. You also get the three-button Graphire mouse, the cordless, ball-free mouse that never needs cleaning and you can use right on your tablet. All this is hooked up to the USB port of your Mac. Make sure you have your serial mouse handy, if you have to use one during the computer startup sequence, unless you have native USB support.

The tablet is the size of a mouse pad. The active area of the tablet is considerably smaller than the mouse pad, 4 by 5 inches or 10,16 by 12,7 centimeters, but not too small to be useful for the average consumer and prosumer (the “professional consumer,” akin to a power user). When I measured the exact active area of the tablet it was actually 4.5 by 6 inches or 11,43 by 15,24 centimeters, so the area marked on the tablet is more or less a conservative guide. This design is probably intentional because you cannot see the marked area when working with the mouse on the tablet. If you’re working within the marked area you should have no tracing problems.

Another welcome feature for some, I’m sure, is visual feedback in the form of a couple of LEDs at the top of the active area frame. The yellow LED indicates power to the tablet through the USB bus so you can see that it is operational. The green LED lights up when you touch the tablet with the pen or when you click the mouse. The tablet surface is protected by the transparent overlay, a clear plastic sheet in the shape of the tablet. It has a nice, smooth surface feel to it, but will get smudged and scratched after a while. Look to replace it after a few months, when tracing becomes less precise. As an alternative, use whatever cut-to-shape plastic sheet you can find and feel comfortable with, be it a sheet protector, an overhead transparency, or whatever you prefer. If you like, you can even put your mousepad on top of the tablet: the pen and mouse will still work, thanks to their electromagnetic actuation from the tablet, or you can use your favorite mouse, as well.

The Graphire mouse is relatively lightweight, which is not something you can say for the Logitech Cordless Mouseman I used to use after I upgraded from the standard Starmax mouse that came with my Starmax 3000. The light weight is a welcome change because it takes a bit of force to move the weight of the Logitech mouse around. This is mainly because it has to use three AAA batteries for its wireless RF connection to the base unit. I can use the Graphire mouse with ease, and lefthanders will appreciate its uniform shape for right- and lefthanders.

The Graphire pen is just plain handy. Literally. It is relatively lightweight, too, which you will appreciate after using it for a while. The integrated electronic eraser makes it a snap to erase text in a text program or graphics in a graphics program. You use the Graphire pen like a mouse, in that pushing the pen down on the tablet has the same effect as clicking with your mouse. When not in use just put the pen in the pen stand where you can grab it again when you need it. I found the pen stand so convenient I never even considered removing it from the tablet.

After using the Graphire pen for a few days I’m using it almost exclusively in place of the mouse. I use it for navigation around the graphical user interface, drawing and painting, and to initiate actions in conjunction with Sensiva. I find that I can navigate the user interface better using the Graphire pen. I didn’t do any research to back this up, but my hypothesis is that hand-eye coordination works better with a pen than with a mouse. Furthermore, digidextrous pen navigation, i.e. navigating the graphical user interface by using a pen held between your fingers, works better than mouse navigation since pen navigation does not depend exclusively on two-dimensional tracing, but allows for lifting the pen slightly above the tablet. Mouse navigation depends on truly two-dimensional tracing on the mouse pad surface due to roller-and-ball tracking or optical tracking. Fingers holding a pen function beyond that limitation.

There is a good reason the DuoSwitch integrated into the pen can be programmed using the control panel to function like a mouse double-click: holding the pen steady is not as easy as holding a mouse steady because the mouse sits on its pad, whereas you hold the pen slightly above the tablet surface. I have found that the most limiting shortcoming of the pen. However, that can be overcome by adjusting the pen’s navigation sensitivity by adjusting the tracking speed in the Wacom control panel to slow. Nevertheless, repeated tense wrist motions, which are required for precise mouse movements, can be a contributing factor in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Another way to avoid wrist strain that can lead to Carpal Tunnel-Syndrome is to hold the pen at an angle when drawing or writing on the tablet. This allows for your wrist to be bent in slightly different ways and exerts less repeated stress on only one area of your wrist.

LapMouse lets you sit back and mouse comfortably in your lap. Ends stressful reaching for your mouse. Use flat or tilt in any direction to eliminate stress, pain and hand and arm fatigue. Cloth base with 7"D mouse pad. Mouse cord organizer included. Red.

http://www.animax.no/

Ergonomic Mouse RM500GPS Small  (manuf: 3M)

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=50132274

CompUSA Price: $43.40

It's not often that you see a product instruction manual that says the first day you use the product "you'll hate it; it's very different from what you're used to."

But that's truth in advertising and an exact quote from the instruction manual (actually, instructional pamphlet is a more accurate description) of the Anir Vertical Mouse from Animax. The manual goes on to say that on day two "you begin to like it (you're well on your way to forgetting your old mouse habits)," and, by day three, "it's much better than you expected."

That's all true except that I never did get as comfortable with the Vertical Mouse as with a traditional one. But let's back up. The Anir Vertical Mouse, released last fall, was the first ergonomic mouse for the iMac. It's now available in USB and ADB versions.

Designed like a pilot stick, the Vertical Mouse is designed to encourage a natural vertical hand position with the thumb pointing upwards. Traditional mouse designs mean that you have to twist your forearm to put the palm of your hand in a horizontal position over the mouse. This pronation is not a relaxed position, says Animax.

The cursor on the Vertical Mouse is controlled with your thumb in a natural resting position. Traditional mouse designs mean that you have to bend your hand slightly upwards with the wrist extended. Animax says this extension and the pronation of the forearm result in a heavy muscle load.

It also boasts two click buttons, a heavy mouse ball with silicon coating for precise cursor movement and a maximum resolution of 400 dpi. It only weights four ounces and its large size makes it appropriate for hands measuring 3.50 - 4.00 inch/8,8 - 10 cm across the palm of your hand at the base of your fingers (where your four fingers meet your palm).

From what I could tell, the mouse has and does everything it was designed to do. It's probably just the case of an "old dog" (Yours Truly) not wanting to learn "new tricks" (a new form of mouse), but even after three days, I returned to my traditional Contour Design mouse.

I'm certainly not knocking the device. It's simply not for me. But if you're looking for alternatives to the traditional mouse or if you're having forearm/wrist/elbow problems, you should certainly give it a look.

The Anir Vertical Mouse has a manufacturers suggested retail price of US $87. For additional information go to http://www.verticalmouse.com/.

3M ERGONOMIC MOUSE LARGE GRAPHITE  $45.99

http://www.dartek.com/ItemDetails/index.cfm?ItemNo=66850&CP=Inktomi&OSC=600

3M™ Ergonomic Mouse
Superior comfort — clinically
proven to reduce muscle strain
and discomfort associated with
carpal tunnel syndrome and
repetitive stress injury.

Ergonomic Mouse
Unique design comes in
two sizes for more
comfortable mousing.

To avoid strain on your wrists, arms and hands, your keyboard and other input devices, such as a mouse or trackball, should be positioned within a comfortable distance of each other. The diagram below shows the optimal area for input devices. 

•Clinical Studies  

•Download Software

What is the B.A.T. Keyboard?

The BAT Personal Keyboard is an innovative, ergonomic, one- handed computer input device. Its exclusive chord set and simple design replicates all the functions of a traditional QWERTY keyboard yet with greater efficiency and convenience. The illustration above shows the left hand using the BAT, freeing the right hand to use the mouse full-time.

Research and Innovation:

Released in 1991, the BAT's exclusive chordset was developed by Dr. Daniel Gopher, an internationally recognized expert in human ergonomics and motor skills. His research focused on developing a highly advanced chordset that was easy to learn, easy to use, and most efficient.

Why the B.A.T. Keyboard?

• Quicker to learn than touch-typing.
• Eliminates "Hunt and Peck" typing technique.
• Exclusive ChordEasy™; software allows for programmable macros and WordChords for increased productivity.
• Saves valuable desk space.
• Lightweight and small size provides greater portability.
• May be moved to any comfortable typing position; even your lap.

Ease of Use & Learning Curve:

• Learn letter and number chords in about an hour.
• Tutorial provided.
• Convenient chording chart included for user reference.
• Comfortable hand posture may reduce strain and fatigue.
• Available for left and/or right hands.

• Use one, two (both hands), or with a QWERTY keyboard.

"The BAT Chord Keyboard is a natural complement to the mouse"
---- Doug Engelbart Mouse Inventor

Price:  
$199.99 (one handed: specify left or right) PC PS2
$229.99 (one handed: specify left or right) PC USB
$199.99 (one handed: specify left or right) Mac ADB
$229.99 (one handed: specify left or right) Mac USB
$349.99 (two handed) PC PS2
$379.99 (two handed) PC USB
http://www.worklink.net/products/bat-onehanded.html 

Philips SpeechMike Pro USB The revolutionary trackball, microphone and speaker in one hand-held device.

This PC input device combines a professional dictation microphone, loudspeaker and a trackball mouse in a single ergonomic housing and has been designed specifically for the latest PC multimedia applications such as speech recognition.

The USB version of Speech Mike Pro overcomes sound quality issues associated with many computer soundcards. By delivering a high quality audio signal directly to the computers motherboard using the USB socket, significant improvements can be made to the overall performance of speech recognition software.

The SpeechMike Pro USB offers the user all the professional functionality of a dictation microphone including Play, Record, Fast Forward and Backward. The SpeechMike Pro USB is further enhanced by 6 user defined, programmable hot buttons. It allows the user to navigate and control Windows 98 SE or 2000 applications. Additional user convenience is provided by LED indicators for visual feedback and a built-in loudspeaker for audible feedback. The ergonomic design ensures that the PC user can input speech and work under Windows efficiently using one single input device. Microphone

Features:

• Easy to use: one-hand operation for dictation and playback
• Ergonomic design: fits neatly and comfortably in your hand
• Professional: multimedia trackball input and control device
• True fidelity sound: high-quality microphone and speaker
• Multi-purpose: can be used for dictation, presentations, e-mail, PC control, etc.
• Programmable buttons: can be assigned as hot keys in any Windows application for faster and easier voice control Right Mouse Button
• USB connection for simple installation - PNP (Plug ‘n’ Play) Windows 98 SE or Windows 2000
• "Laid-back“ Internet surfing
• LEDs for visual feedback
• Trigger button equivalent to left or right mouse button
• Additional buttons for faster and easier voice control
• Works in conjunction with another mouse or trackball or
• Can be used as a standard mouse
• Complete with a self adhesive holder

Price: 
$199.99

 http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A0063799&cs=19&c=us&l=en