Avast ye, matey! Don’t reach for that mouse, ye scurvy office rat.
Sorry, it’s Talk Like a Pirate Day, and we observe that holiday here.
Anyhow, a common complaint among my massage clients is persistent pain across the top of their mouse-side shoulder (I call this condition “mouse shoulder”). When I ask them to show me how they use their mouse, nine times out of ten they reach out and/or up to operate their mouse.
Now I’m no ergonomics expert, but it’s pretty clear to me that if you elevate your arm all day the muscles doing the elevating might get a little cranky, hence that pain across the top of your shoulder.
I recommend to my clients that they position their desk, chair, and mouse in a way that makes them reach as little as possible. Ideally, you want:
- your upper arm tucked in next to your body, hanging more or less straight up and down
- your lower arm at about a 90-degree angle (i.e., pretty much parallel with the surface of your desk), and
- your wrist naturally extended only enough to conform to the shape of the mouse
About the Author
Larry Swanson is a massage therapist in downtown Seattle, WA. His practices focuses on the unique needs of office workers and also includes injury treatment for sports and car-accident injuries as well as massage for wellness and athletic performance.