Mouse arm from working at the computer? Oh no!
Hours sitting at your mobile phone or computer and always making the same movements with the mouse can result in pain in your hands and arms. Find out here what causes the pain and what to do to prevent it.
If you use them right, computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices are a blessing. But if working on the computer puts monotonous strain on your arms and hands for longer periods, you can develop so-called mouse arm. Mouse arm, in medical jargon repetitive strain injury syndrome, is a complex set of symptoms affecting the hand, arm, shoulder and neck areas. Despite the name, it’s not the computer mouse itself that’s the source of this evil. In most cases the trouble’s caused by overloading and incorrect strain on the muscles when using the mouse and keyboard, and often also a poor sitting posture.
Symptoms
In many cases the pain initially comes gradually. It starts with a tugging or tingling feeling in your fingers or hand, and your forearm feels weaker than usual. At first the pain only comes when you make a certain movement, such as clicking the mouse or typing. Later on it may be painful even if you're not moving. As time progresses the hand, arm, shoulder and neck symptoms get more pronounced, and you may suffer swelling and restricted movement. If you ignore the pain you unnecessarily risk developing tendonitis.
Treatment
The first step to getting better is to change your working environment, ergonomically adjusting your workplace so you’re sitting straight and comfortably with your neck, shoulders and arms as relaxed as possible. Regular exercises help prevent the symptoms from getting worse by keeping the muscles and joints from tensing up even further.
If your mouse arm is giving you a lot of pain, massages and ergotherapy, or warm compresses, can offer some relief. If other measures fail to bring any improvement, it might be appropriate to take medication. But the best treatment for mouse arm is to prevent it from happening in the first place.
If you use them right, computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices are a blessing. But if working on the computer puts monotonous strain on your arms and hands for longer periods, you can develop so-called mouse arm. Mouse arm, in medical jargon repetitive strain injury syndrome, is a complex set of symptoms affecting the hand, arm, shoulder and neck areas. Despite the name, it’s not the computer mouse itself that’s the source of this evil. In most cases the trouble’s caused by overloading and incorrect strain on the muscles when using the mouse and keyboard, and often also a poor sitting posture.
Symptoms
In many cases the pain initially comes gradually. It starts with a tugging or tingling feeling in your fingers or hand, and your forearm feels weaker than usual. At first the pain only comes when you make a certain movement, such as clicking the mouse or typing. Later on it may be painful even if you're not moving. As time progresses the hand, arm, shoulder and neck symptoms get more pronounced, and you may suffer swelling and restricted movement. If you ignore the pain you unnecessarily risk developing tendonitis.
Treatment
The first step to getting better is to change your working environment, ergonomically adjusting your workplace so you’re sitting straight and comfortably with your neck, shoulders and arms as relaxed as possible. Regular exercises help prevent the symptoms from getting worse by keeping the muscles and joints from tensing up even further.
If your mouse arm is giving you a lot of pain, massages and ergotherapy, or warm compresses, can offer some relief. If other measures fail to bring any improvement, it might be appropriate to take medication. But the best treatment for mouse arm is to prevent it from happening in the first place.
