Using a mouse for our jobs is commonplace now. Many of us have – or will have – injuries due to our mousing. I, myself, struggled with this exact issue when I had a desk job years ago. I switched my mouse to a joystick type, which did seem to alleviate it. Luckily, I can share with you some strategies to prevent this injury …
The first thing we need to think about is our positioning when sitting at our desk. We need to sit upright on the front edge of our sitting bones with a straight back with the natural low back or lumbar curve. This position will help keep our shoulders from rounding forward and creating a restriction or pinching in the area where the collarbone and rib cage meet.
There is a nerve bundle called the brachial plexus in this area that runs from the neck, under the collarbone, and down the arm. We need to keep this area open so the nerves running to the arm and hand can work freely. Sometimes people will also get a numbness and tingling in the arms or hands which possibly could be created due to a compression of this nerve bundle.
After making sure that we are sitting in an upright position while we are mousing, we can also think about the pressure we are using to do our mousing. We do not need to use a lot of force to hold the mouse, which we often do. The next time you are working, think about lightening your touch on the mouse, which should free up the tension in your hands, arms and front shoulder area.
Here is a stretch for your shoulder, arm and hand that can help prevent possible issues and help you through a current issue …
You want to stand sideways to a wall, 2 feet away from it. Place your hand on the wall so the heel of your hand is level with your armpit and your elbow is slightly bent (as shown in the picture). Next, spread your fingers wide and allow every inch of your skin of the fingers and palm to touch the wall. Allow your elbow to drop towards the floor and think about the back of your armpit moving towards the front of your armpit.
In this position, you may feel a burning sensation in your arm and an openness in your collarbone area. Breathe gently for 3 slow breaths, keeping your fingers flat against the wall. After 3 breaths, release the arm and feel the difference. You can practice this several times a day working up to 8 gentle breaths.
By Gwen MacLean for Living Balance Clinic
