Relieve Your Hand and Wrist Pain {Try an Ergonomic Mouse}
Do you suffer from hand and wrist pain? This is a common complaint for anyone who spends hours on a computer. In this series of posts, we first considered how to find quick relief from pain. After helping relieve your discomfort, we will talk about the two main factors leading to your pain: your mouse and your keyboard. In this post, we will consider your mouse and how changing your mousing habits can help eliminate future pain and injury.
Tips for Pain-Free Mousing
- Adjust your hand and wrist posture. Keep your hands and wrists straight during any typing or mousing. You should see a straight line from your elbows,
through your wrists and hands, down to you middle finger. Your wrists should, also, remain level with your forearms and hands; never flex them or bend them backward when using the keyboard or mouse. If you are using a wrist rest, be careful that you never rest directly on your wrists. - Move your mouse for optimum placement. Your mouse should be pulled as close to your keyboard as possible. This will make it easy to use your mouse without stretching for it. An ergonomic mini keyboard it removes the number pad and reduces the keyboard size provide better mouse placement. Or a left handed keyboard; it moves the number pad to the left side of the keyboard. Both of these ergonomic keyboard designs will lower the strain caused by reaching for your mouse.
- Eliminate any hand or wrist movement. When using your mouse or moving toward your mouse, you should be moving your wrist or hands as little as possible. Instead, the majority of movement should come from your elbow. This allows you to keep your wrist and hands straight and level. Move your entire arm, wrist and hand as one unit when switching from the keyboard to the mouse. Consciously hold your elbow next to your body and keep your arm relaxed. This will protect your wrist and hand from injury.
- Upgrade to an ergonomic mouse. Try an ergonomic mouse, maybe one with a track ball, to eliminate the strain. Common causes of pain in the wrist and hands include over-use of the scroll wheel, and using a mouse that is too small for your hand. Find a new mouse that fits your hand and encourages you to maintain good hand and wrist posture. Try several different sizes and designs, and give yourself some time to adjust to the change in style before determining if it the right, or wrong, mouse for you.
After finding immediate relief for your hand and wrist pain, consider the changes you can make to prevent future pain. Locate a good ergonomic mouse that fits comfortably in your hand. Also try using an ergonomic mini keyboard to provide better mouse placement. Don’t just ignore or tolerate your pain, find the right ergonomic products relieve pain now and in the future.