Painful mousing shoulder - what to do? archived

I read "mousing shoulder" and thought you were engaging in some cat like activities.

Anyway, there are plenty of articles about how to set up a desk ergonomically. I do have an issue in my hand joints when I've been working a long time and I just need to periodically take breaks.

Yoga might help. It relieved frozen shoulder, and has also helped me to get rid of tendinitis.

Here is one stretch you can try:
http://myownboss.ca/?p=664

There are lots of other sites that offer tips for yoga at your desk.

I'm not anti-doctor, but sometimes best they can do is advise an anti=inflammatory, which you've probably already thought of.

Temporary solution: move the mouse to your left hand. You can switch the button functions through the Control Panel. I did this when my right wrist was bothering me, and liked it so much I kept it that way for years. It was great because you can still do things with your right hand (like eat a sandwich) while never stopping your surfing. It takes a bit of getting used to but I adapted pretty quickly.

Thanks all. I'll try some of these suggestions. NFM - I'm a lefty so I already love the setup for doing things with my left hand while still being able to mouse. I've always thought it was weird that righties also mouse rightie.... usually everything is switched - even down to which wrist you wear your watch on. Lefties usually adapt to doing things "the rightie way" so it didn't occur to me until recently that righties mouse rightie.

I went to Dr. Kevin Dempsey in Maplewood awhile ago... was diagnosed with a nerve issue that required surgery. Dr. Dempsey saw me twice a week for 6 weeks and it was all squared away.

Give him a try!

I had a frozen shoulder and went to physical therapy. One of the biggest things I learned was that the other arm and shoulder taught the frozen shoulder how to respond. Get a broom handle. Grasp with both hands and with straight elbows start to see if you can lift over your head. The good arm teaches the bad arm. Also just sitting in bed. Grasp anything with both hands and lift to touch the wall behind you. Magic!

Posted By: angelakThanks all. I'll try some of these suggestions. NFM - I'm a lefty so I already love the setup for doing things with my left hand while still being able to mouse. I've always thought it was weird that righties also mouse rightie.... usually everything is switched - even down to which wrist you wear your watch on. Lefties usually adapt to doing things "the rightie way" so it didn't occur to me until recently that righties mouse rightie.

Damn! No help at all from me! :smile:

Posted By: NotFromMuskogee

Posted By: angelakThanks all. I'll try some of these suggestions. NFM - I'm a lefty so I already love the setup for doing things with my left hand while still being able to mouse. I've always thought it was weird that righties also mouse rightie.... usually everything is switched - even down to which wrist you wear your watch on. Lefties usually adapt to doing things "the rightie way" so it didn't occur to me until recently that righties mouse rightie.

Damn! No help at all from me!

Actually it's a big help. I'm considering the idea, at least at work where I ordered a clamping mouse tray that I can easily put on either side. It would give my right side a chance to heal. But how would I eat my sandwich??? :bigsmile:

Sounds like you have a repetitive motion injury. Can you try substituting keyboard commands for some of the functions you now do with a mouse? If the shoulder is what is bothering you, the mouse is likely too far from where it needs to be, causing you to stretch farther than you should to reach it. If possible, try using a cordless mouse so you can place it closer to you when you work on the computer.

I'm with oneofthegirls. I had frozen shoulder too and those particular exercises were most effective. I also put my back against a wall and raise a ball over my head to touch the wall. It took 2-3 months for mine to get better, so have patience and start slowly

Minimize the motion for moving your hand from keyboard to mouse. I realized my problem when it lessened on weekends and got worse during the week. I wasn't using the computer less on weekends. I was using a laptop on weekends which had a touchpad between the spacebar and me, which reduced stress tremendously.

Just to follow up on Mr. Reingold's post - I reached the point where I just couldn't use a keyboard-and-mouse combination any more. I try to do more on a laptop, and you can even get various touch-pad products to use with your desktop.

Either a small touchpad to go right next to your keyboard (minimizing the movement of your arm), or even a keyboard with a laptop-style touchpad, might provide some relief.

My shoulder was bothering me a bit and a co-worker recommended I try a trackball mouse. I immediately ordered one. It is a Kensington. I LOVE it, and it really has helped. I have been using it for over 2 years now at work. It took a couple of months to get used to fully, but once you do, you will be happy you did it. Now, though, when anybody tries to use my computer, they get very disoriented, since using a trackball is very different. Here is a link to their products:

http://us.kensington.com/html/1436.html

I also take a walk when I can, and when I don't have the time I do a handstand against a wall. Maybe that sounds crazy, but inverting my spine/shoulders really relieves any strain or tension. Stay flexible!

hi angelak-

the pain you are describing is very common and is due to chronically contracted muscles involved in spending hours at a computer (like so many of us do).

The remedies mentioned above may work, including surgery (which I would only try as a last resort) but only by addressing the sensory motor feedback loop can you get to the root of the problem. Basic neuroscience and an understanding of anatomy show us that the brain controls our muscles via the sensory motor system, and you can address this muscular dysfunction in a very specific way.

Pandiculation is the only way the body can reset the sensory motor feedback loop between the muscles and the brain. This is what you see dogs and cats do daily to relieve contracted muscles, they contract them further (as in the case of a cat arching its back) followed by a slow, controlled and full release).

I recently helped two runners with plantar fasciitis by teaching them a very simple contraction and then slow, controlled release of the fascia, and presto – each of them said the fasciitis completely disappeared and didn’t re-occur.

In your case, your arms and shoulders are tight (again, just like mine are) from spending hours in front of a computer. The cause therefore of your pain and lack of flexibility is very likely chronically contracted muscles that are outside of your voluntary control. To regain control of them, you need to pandiculate your shoulders and arms by tightening them further and then doing a slow controlled release.

Check out this site, it's run by Martha Peterson here in Maplewood and is a great source of information and exercises that work like a charm.

http://www.essentialsomatics.com/index.php?/hanna-somatics-learning-center/got-pain

Good luck,

pete newman

Track ball. The end.

Stops all the small, rotating moves associated with mousing. You only use your thumb/fingers. Take it from someone whose shoulder was really in pain following some rotator cuff surgeries, this really alleviates the reasons for the shoulder pain to begin with.

Many many thanks for all this info. I'm really grateful.

I don't like trackballs! And they can cause problems, too; they're not a panacea. For me, the problem is lifting my arm towards the mouse, not how I hold or move the mouse. So a trackball wouldn't address my problem.