• Home
  • About
    • About The Osteopaths
    • Why Choose the Osteopaths?
    • What is Osteopathy
  • Practitioners
    • Dr Bryden McGregor
    • Dr Christopher Tucker
    • Dr Daniela De Fazio
    • Dr Lachlan Nolte
    • Dr Lyndon Clarke
    • Dr Marcus Hopkins
    • Dr Marnie Norfolk
    • Dr Melanie Longano
    • Dr Natalie Maynard
    • Dr Michael Newbold
    • Dr Nicole Tuminello
    • Dr Peter Parker
    • Dr Serena Kuo
    • Dr Shaun Coghlan
    • Dr Stephanie Giddings
    • Megan Ferguson, Myotherapist
  • Conditions Treated
    • Sports Injuries
    • Occupational Strain
    • Headaches & Neck Pain
    • Back Pain
    • Osteopathy During Pregnancy
    • Babies and children
    • Sciatica
    • Frozen Shoulder
    • Tennis Elbow
    • Asthma
    • Digestive problems
  • News & Resources
    • Clinic News Blog
    • Patient Resources Blog
    • Products
    • Stretching
      • Stretches
    • Office Ergonomics
    • Safe Lifting
  • Clinics
    • The Osteopaths of Heidelberg
    • The Osteopaths of Blackburn
    • Online booking request
    • Patient FAQs
  • Contact

patient resources

29
APR
2017

Avoiding the mouse trap!

Tags : better health, desk jobs, elbow pain, ergonomics, exercise, Headaches, healing, health, mobility, neck pain, occupation, osteopathy, shoulder pain, stretching, The Osteopaths of Heidelberg and Blackburn, wrist pain
Posted By : theosteopaths
Comments : Off

7 TIPS TO HELP AVOID MOUSE RELATED PAINS

Workers may spend up to 9 hours a day using their computer mouse. Unfortunately prolonged, repetitive or awkward working postures can lead to muscular and/or joint dysfunction. Some of the most common complaints associated with regular mouse use include wrist, shoulder and neck pain.

These common aches and pains may be eased by adjusting your workstation ergonomics and performing some basic exercises at your desk.

Below are 7 quick tips that may help avoid or relieve your mouse related pains:

1. Shoulder and elbow position
Set your chair height so that when your shoulders are in a relaxed position, your elbows should be 0-5cm above desk height. If your feet are unable to touch the ground, then a footrest may be required. Next, ensure you are not over-reaching for your mouse by keeping it adjacent to your keyboard and elbow by your side (figure 1). This allows your shoulder girdle and neck muscles to relax sufficiently to prevent injury. If your chair has armrests, please remove them if they push your elbows too high or prevent you from getting too close to the desk.

2. Wrist position 
The wrist should be kept in a neutral position at all times. Avoid any flexion or extension of the wrist, and any deviation to the left or right (figure 2). Your keyboard and mouse should be set 10-25cm from the front of the desk so that you have some forearm support.

3. Head position Your head should be approximately arms length distance away from the monitor with the top 1/3 of the screen at eye level. This can be achieved by using a monitor arm or stand. Your head, keyboard and screen should all be centrally aligned.

4. Vary your mouse hand
A handy tip is to swap your mouse to your non-preferred hand. This can be tricky at first, but within 2 weeks you will be able to vary your mouse hand throughout the day. This will put less stress on your wrists and shoulders by easing the load.

5. Regular breaks
Taking regular breaks during the day will help reduce your risk of injury. If your job involves repetitive computer work, it advised to take 1-2 minute standing breaks every 30 minutes, and 5 second breaks from mouse use every 5 minutes.

6. Desk exercises
There are many simple exercises you can perform at your desk throughout the day. It is a good idea to implement these exercises during your regular breaks. A couple of these exercises are pictured below, however please see your physical therapists to discuss these further.

Wrist mobility exercises

Neck and shoulder stretches:

7. Ergonomic equipment
There is a range of ergonomic equipment available to purchase that can assist in avoiding or relieving your mouse related pains. However the equipment should be tailored to the individual and therefore it is crucial to discuss these products with your physical therapist. Below are a few resources available and how they may benefit your workstation.
• Vertical Mouse (figure 9) – A vertical mouse avoids forearm twisting and can help to alleviate and prevent wrist and forearm injury.
• Short/Mini keyboard (figure 10) – The short keyboard has a narrower profile (no number pad), which allows your mouse to be placed in alignment with your shoulder – relieving neck and shoulder discomfort.
• Wrist rest (figure 11) – The idea of the wrist rest is to keep the wrist as flat as possible and avoid any wrist extension (upward angle). However if you are using a wrist rest, please be sure you do not pivot your wrist on the padding.

References:
1. Corporate Work Health Australia. (2014). Ergonomic Workstation Setup.
2. Posturite. (2017). Workstation Exercises. Retrieved from http://www.posturite.co.uk/posture-learning-resources/workstation-exercises
3. ergonomics now. (2017). Ergonomic Products. Retrieved from https://www.ergonomicsnow.com.au/

Dr. Shaun Coghlan
The Osteopaths of Blackburn

Shaun Coghlan, Registered Osteopath

Shaun Coghlan, Registered Osteopath

Social Share

  • google-share

Patient Resources

  • Clinic News Blog
  • Patient Resources Blog
  • Products
  • Stretching
    • Stretches
  • Office Ergonomics
  • Posture Exercises
  • Safe Lifting

Tags

Advice back pain blackburn Breathing exercises carrying Children circulation desk diabetes diet energy ergonomics exercise fatigue flexibility Guidelines Headaches health Health benefits Heidelberg hormonal immune system injury massage mood neck pain Osteopath osteopathy pain pain relief posture Recommendations relaxation running Sitting sleep standing tension the osteopaths The Osteopaths of Heidelberg and Blackburn Tips vitality Weight control women workplace

Recent Posts

  • Student’s Elbow
  • Pain From Within – Why Pain Isn’t Always A Strain Or Sprain
  • Shoulder Impingement
  • Let’s talk TMJ dysfunction!
  • The Lymphatic System
  • I don’t play tennis – so how did I get tennis elbow?
  • Avoiding the mouse trap!
  • Choosing the right pillow for YOU!
  • Your comprehensive Office Ergonomics Guide
  • The modern day child

Newsletter signup

  1. Name *
    * Please enter your name
  2. Email *
    * Please enter a valid email address
  3. Message *
    * Please enter message

Visit The Osteopaths on Facebook

Visit The Osteopaths on Twitter

Visit The Osteopaths on Googleplus

Watch The Osteopaths on YouTube

Connect with Peter Parker, Pincipal Osteopath

Visit The Osteopaths on Instagram

Contact Us

The Osteopaths of Heidelberg
224 Bell Street
Heidelberg Heights VIC 3081

T: (03) 9455 3011
F: (03) 9455 3022
E: info@theosteopaths.com.au

ONLINE BOOKINGS



The Osteopaths of Blackburn
213 Whitehorse Road
Blackburn VIC 3130

T: (03) 9894 3011
F: (03) 9894 3022
E: info@theosteopaths.com.au

Our Mobile App

The Osteopaths Android mobile app on Google Play

The Osteopaths iPhone mobile app

Recent Posts

  • Student’s Elbow
  • Pain From Within – Why Pain Isn’t Always A Strain Or Sprain
  • Shoulder Impingement
  • Let’s talk TMJ dysfunction!
  • The Lymphatic System
Copyright The Osteopaths of Heidelberg and Blackburn, 2020
facebook
twitter
google+
View videos by The Osteopaths on YouTube
Connect with our Principal Osteopath, Peter Parker on LinkedIn
Follow The Osteopaths on Instagram