Shoulder Pain
If you work in an office, you probably spend hours every day with one arm extended on your mouse, clicking and dragging items. Mouse shoulder is a condition that can create shoulder pain from using a mouse with the computer for long periods of time due to poor ergonomics or inappropriate arm or wrist support.
The pain tends to spread over one side of the neck and into the shoulder, it can develop over weeks or months and is often described as a “burning” or deep aching sensation. This repetitive strain injury (RSI) or work-related upper limb disorder can occur from constant repetitive movements in a limited area can lead to real pain problems in the shoulder, neck, and upper back. It may take several weeks or months to develop, but once established Mouse Shoulder can take less than one hour of mouse use a day to maintain this repetitive strain state.
How Do l Get Mouse Shoulder?
The shoulder and shoulder blade attach to the body by various muscles that insert into the spine, ribcage, neck and base of the skull. Holding a mouse with the arm held away from the body causes these muscles to contract, as they support the weight of the outstretched arm.
Mouse shoulder develops due to a combination of factors, primarily related to repetitive movements and poor posture while using a computer mouse. Here’s how it typically happens:
Repetitive Strain:
Constantly moving and clicking the mouse can put stress on the shoulder and neck muscles, leading to fatigue and discomfort.
Poor Posture:
Sitting with your shoulders hunched or your arm extended too far can create imbalances in muscle tension. This strain can accumulate over time, resulting in pain or stiffness.
Static Positioning:
Staying in the same position for long periods without adjusting your posture can cause tightness in the shoulder muscles.
Ergonomic Issues:
Using a mouse that is not suited to your hand size or workspace setup can exacerbate strain on your shoulder.
Lack of Breaks:
Failing to take regular breaks can prevent muscles from recovering, increasing the risk of developing discomfort.
To mitigate these issues, focus on maintaining good posture, using an ergonomic mouse, taking frequent breaks, and incorporating stretching exercises into your routine
What Can Be Done To Help
Mouse Shoulder responds well to a combination of anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), manual treatment and low-level laser. In acute cases medical acupuncture can reduce the severe pain and muscle spasm by treating the painful trigger points.
However, treatment alone is not the answer. Without any modification to work posture or lifestyle these symptoms will return within days or weeks. You are then at risk of becoming dependent on repeated, costly and long-term treatment.
Treatment For Mouse Arm Syndrome
A mouse arm is considered an overuse injury. The injury can therefore be improved either by reducing the load or by making the tissue more resistant to the load. In the vast majority of cases, both will be attempted.
General relief will be the first resort.
Learn to control the mouse with the opposite hand and then change hands several times a day.
Take a 5-minute break every hour. During the break, walk away from your workstation. It will be an advantage if you use your hand and arm actively. This could be fetching coffee or holding the handrail while climbing stairs.
Minimizing the backward bending of the wrist while working reduces the strain on the tissues. If you are fond of your mouse, you can buy a mouse pad that has a built-in gel pad placed on the side. Placing the gel cushion under the wrist will straighten the wrist and thus reduce strain.
If this is not enough, you can buy a Mousetrapper, Rollermouse or a vertical mouse. While Mousetrapper and Rollermouse reduce the backward bending of the wrist, the latter will change the position of the wrist because the forearm is rotated.
Strength training can increase forearm strength, making the tissue more resistant to overload. Stretching is a quick and easy way to increase arm strength. Studies show that just 2 minutes a day can help prevent office injuries such as mouse arm.treatment.
To avoid or reduce shoulder pain
To avoid or reduce shoulder pain, focus on maintaining good posture and setting up an ergonomic workspace. Take regular breaks to stretch and move, and incorporate shoulder-strengthening and flexibility exercises into your routine. Use proper lifting techniques, and listen to your body—stop if you experience pain. Applying ice after activity and heat for muscle relaxation can also help. If pain persists, consult a healthcare professional for personalized advice.
Some Ways To Help Yourself
Become ‘ambi-moustrous’: learn to use the mouse with BOTH hands. This is a difficult skill to learn and will need to be practised little and often each day. Alternatively, learn to hold the mouse closer to your side and remember to drop the shoulder down.
Change your mouse to a Trackball or marble mouse and bring it closer to you. Research has shown that holding the mouse with the arm less than 10° abducted from the body can reduces the muscle activity by a factor of 25-60%.
One of the most important things to remember about Repetitive Strain Injuries is the word REPETITIVE. Add as much variety as you can to your desk and work practice. Share different designs of mouse between members of your office; swap them around every week or so, to add to the variety.
Get up and move about regularly. If possible, rather than emailing or telephoning someone else in your office – go and talk to them in person.
Activities such as racket sports, swimming, Pilates, archery or bell ringing, will exercise the upper back muscles.
Use a resistance band (Theraband) to exercise upper back muscles for 2-3 minutes, 2-4 times a day. Building up the upper back and neck muscles will help improve your neck support and encourage a better posture.
Self massage; A tennis ball in a sock makes a good, cheap alternative to expensive self-massagers.