Mouse Shoulder

[TelePlay]

Another tech disease.

Phoneitis may be expensive but mouseitis is painful.

I have it. It hurts. I've had it for months. It really hurts. Just searched for it and found that it is a well documented issue.

Tendonitis in the shoulder, for me the front shoulder tendons, and it really hurts when using my mouse. Gets better after icing, massaging, stretching, exercising, NSAIDs, etc. but comes back after only the first 5 to 10  minutes of using a mouse.

Anyone else have it?

Any suggestions on a good cure/prevention other than throwing the computer into the trash can?

[Bill]

Some people find that a track ball is helpful, because you don't have to move your arm, just your fingers. I'm not thinking this would be helpful to you, but maybe.

Another approach is to teach yourself to use a mouse with the other hand. There is a menu item in the Control Panel to reverse the mouse buttons, which is helpful.

This is not an easy solution, but it works. I am left-handed, and years ago I developed a neurological problem in my left hand. It came on gradually but relentlessly, making me pretty much unable to use my left hand for fine-motor activities including handwriting. (Shaving got exciting for a while - I use a blade!) I gradually taught myself to write with my right hand - first, big block letters on our grocery-list whiteboard, and then slow progress from there.  I still cannot write in cursive with my right hand, and printing is slow. But I can communicate, which I couldn't for a while.

Bill

[jsowers]

John, I don't know how you're sitting when you're at the computer, but you could try a new chair. One with arms that adjust up and down so you can angle and prop your arm. I used to have some shoulder pain after using a mouse for a long time at work and I had a rollabout chair with no arms at all.

Something that helped me was switching to a laptop with a trackpad where I could rest my arm on the desk while using it. My current Lenovo laptop has what I call the 'eraser mouse" that's a red stalk between the G and H keys and that doesn't require much arm movement at all. I actually prefer that to a trackpad that's also on my laptop because there's less accidental clicking and mousing with it if you turn off all the tap to click stuff. And I can rest my hand on the laptop all the time while using it. I've had three laptops with that type of mouse (two IBMs at work dating back to Win98 and XP and one Win 7 Lenovo at home), so I'm used to it after 18 years.

They make USB and wireless keyboards with trackpoints and trackpads in them if you have a desktop, but only a few of them have a numeric keypad, which is something I prefer. A laptop would combine both those things--keypad and trackpad/trackpoint.

I hope you find some relief.

[TelePlay]

Thanks for the advice.

I should have mentioned that the problem was either created by or exacerbated by (and vice versa) driving a truck for 200 to 450 miles a day 5 days a week for 15 years (don't do that any more as of 9/30/16) or using a mouse on a surface about the height of my elbow on any of my computers, laptop or desk top. I do spend more than two hours a day with the mouse.

I will try what was suggested. Right now I'm on my desk top and I put a 9" high USPS Priority box under my mouse pad and I got through this one hour session without feeling that pain. That's not the final fix in that I now am feeling some tightness in my shoulder blade area. 

Been getting monthly deep massage work done by a physical therapist for the past 4 years to deal with a lot of back issues from work. All are gone now but she did say there was a tightness in by right shoulder area when I was there on Monday. Darn near went through the ceiling when she pulled my arm back, up and away from me (stretched out the tightness).

That massage work lasted a day and then it was back when using my mouse. I know from experience it takes a long, long time for muscle memory to dissipate and tendonitis to be healed (without injections).

At least I now know I am not the only one suffering from this tech disease and again thank those for helping. Anyone else have any suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated.

I did find a suggestion that a vertical mouse helps. The are $7 and up. Anyone have one, had one? Two styles shown, they want $85 for the top one.

[Jim Stettler]

A couple of guys at work started using "standing" work stations. They are a desk top  platform, that can extend upward for standing while on the computer. They both use it as standing most of the time. 


Standing will give you a better extension for your arm and wrist .
Just a thought.
Jim S.

[Pourme]

John,
I agree with Bill. When I first used a typical mouse, I knew there had to be a better way. The mouse necessitates your entire arm to become mobile. The track ball allows your arm to relax and only your fingers are mobile. This is much better. They are more expensive but worth every cent. This one has endured over a decade of high usage & is still going strong.

Benny

Edit: I can use it equally left or right handed. I am right handed.

[TelePlay]

All good advice.

As a temporary fix, I've been using my mouse against the side of my leg. By placing my fingers on the right shoulder tendons that are sore and moving my mouse in my right hand from flat, normal use to 90 degree rotation against my leg, I can not only feel the shoulder joint close up but can also feel the sore tendons relax, as in their normal position. Got5 away with over a half hour of use without getting the aching pain I've come to know quite well. Seems like all those things I did to my body when young are coming back to haunt me in old age.

Never realized how much pressure using a mouse flat put on the shoulder joint. Using a mouse flat causes my elbow to move 6 to 8 inches away from my body and the humeral head rotating toward the front displacing or stretching the front tendons. Amazing what one does not know about until it hurts really bad.

Just ordered a couple of those vertical mice for cheap from China. Will report on their effectiveness when they get here, next year. Also ordered one of those trackball mice for comparison.

[Greg G.]

I can't do without one of those wrist pads for the mouse.  I also love my ergonomic keyboard.

[SUnset2]

I use an Ergorest articulated forearm support.  I've worked with other people who found that it made a huge difference.  Full price, they are quite expensive, but you can find them cheaper on Ebay.

[unbeldi]

How about taking a vacation ?

[paul-f]

Seems like all those things I did to my body when young are coming back to haunt me in old age.

That's so true for many of us.

Chris and I worked for computer companies in the last century and saw a lot of coworkers get carpal tunnel syndrome from frequent mouse and keyboard use. We were fortunate to get ergonomic chairs and computer tables with adjustable height keyboards, which slowed the process. On the first symptoms, we switched to trackballs and have done well ever since.

For other health issues, we also learned about the value of diet and exercise. After cutting back on sugar and wheat, we started taking supplements such as glucosamine & chondroitin and fish oil for joint issues. For exercise, we use mild yoga and tai-chi, but I'm sure just about anything that increases flexibility will help. It made a huge difference in many areas, including easing Chris' arthritis symptoms. A nutritionist may have some good suggestions for your symptoms.

[andre_janew]

I'm 55 and I've never had carpal tunnel syndrome or mouse shoulder.  When I was younger I lived on a farm with my parents who were technophobes.  I was never on a computer until about six years ago.  I guess my parents protected me from such ailments!

[TelePlay]

Picked up my new track ball this morning, using it now. $25 at Best Buy was the best price I could find anywhere.

Works great for general stuff. Will still need to use an optical mouse for detailed art work, photo and CAD stuff but otherwise, it allows me to rest the mouse on my stomach while the laptop is on my legs. That's a natural position for my hand so I am not aggravating the tendonitis, hasn't started to hurt but it's still there. Will take months to go away without a cortisone injection. Little bit of a learning curve on the track ball - use the ball instead of trying to move the mouse . . .duh!

Just laying the track ball mouse on a table top and using it that way still rotates the humeral head into the position that aggravates the sore tendons. Got to tell you, I've spent many nights having it hard to sleep because of the pain in that shoulder and the only relief was sleeping with my hand just behind my ear and my elbow pointed straight up, stretches the tendons straight so they don't irritate each other, as when sleeping on my right side.

I've had both wrists cut open to relieve carpal tunnel, right one in 1991 and the left one 10 years ago. To work my way through college, I worked for a County Highway Department, 4 years, and 3 of those I was so lucky to use a jack hammer without hearing aides to bust up concrete doing bridge repair. Nothing like a 90 pound chunk of pulsating, bucking steel held against your gut with both hands on the handles to fatten up the tunnel and pinch the nerves, and loose a lot of hearing in the process. Pre-OSHA days. Total relief from those two operations by a Neurologist (better than an orthopedic surgeon in case anyone wants my opinion).

Yes, Paul, have all that and find the glucosamine with condroitin works well for joint pain, along with any of 4 popular NSAIDs. Fish oil good. Hanging on to a truck steering wheel for 8 hours a day in mostly city driving did not help my arms and about 6 months ago I sprained a rotator cuff muscle in my right shoulder hauling a 500 pound load through a quick closing door. So, that pain probably caused abnormal use of the arm leading to the development of mouse shoulder. Been doing computer work since 1978 and never had any issues until I sprained cuff and a rotator cuff injury is one of the most painful and slowest to heal of any other muscle, had one in the 80s and it took 10 years to completely go away.

Other than old age, I'm in pretty good shape. Hopefully this trackball will keep me from irritating the tendons and they will eventually get better. Will look into the other suggestions going forward. Will be very happy with a good nights sleep, hopefully.

Thanks for the help and advice . . .

[HarrySmith]

I use the same Trackball mouse that Benny has and I love it! At work I have a regular old mouse but I can stand at my desk which is counter high and that makes a big difference for me. I have said many times to my co workers that if I knew what was coming with old age I would have been a lot nicer to my body when I was younger!

[TelePlay]

I have said many times to my co workers that if I knew what was coming with old age I would have been a lot nicer to my body when I was younger!

Ain't that the truth, but, then, you wouldn't have all those stories to tell . . .

This is the track ball mouse I picked up this morning. Can only be used right handed but it is wireless.

Getting better at it and still no increasing pain after two hours on the computer . . .