Using a mouse properly
Desk work has become the new way of life for so many people. It’s not without its consequences, however. Those who spend most of their time sitting at a desk are not only more prone to eye strain, but they can also suffer pain and injury from extended mouse use.
Just ask Pamela Dempster. She is the owner and senior ergonomist and health and wellness specialist at Dempster Wellness. Dempster Wellness, located in both Halifax and Moncton, aims to ensure individuals and organizations are healthy and well throughout their health and wellness journey. She is a Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomist who has also worked as an occupational therapist for 24 years. She has been providing onsite and virtual health and wellness consulting services to both private and public sectors, nationally and internationally, for over 25 years.
RESTING THE EYES
Prolonged computer use causes eyestrain, so it’s important to remember to frequently look away from the screen.
Sometimes it can be difficult to remember to get up and look away from the screen, so Dempster recommends putting a recurring alarm on your cell phone to remind you. Most Smart watches have this built in as well.
This is the time to switch your vision from near-sighted computer work to far-sighted things. If you are getting up and moving around, which people should frequently be doing, this happens naturally, she says.
Another way to remind people to keep blinking to maintain eye health is to place a post-it note on the side of the monitor. You will see it frequently when looking at the screen, and when you do, take a blink break.
You can also set an alarm to remind yourself to take a blink break every half an hour, but the simpler you can make it, says Dempster, the easier it is.
It’s important to remember that computer work can lead to eye fatigue, strain, and headaches, so these rituals are important.
MOUSE WORK
Where the mouse is positioned can impact the health of someone’s, neck, shoulders, upper and middle back areas.
A standard mouse can be marketed as ergonomic in relation to how it positions a hand, a wrist, or forearm, but Dempster cautions that if the mouse is placed beside
a keyboard, other areas of the body including the neck, shoulder, upper and middle back areas will continue to be impacted which can lead to the increased risk of developing discomfort, pain or injury in those areas.
While sitting at a desk, Dempster says to aim for a neutral shoulder joint position where the arm is relaxed next to the trunk of the body. Muscles and tendons around the shoulder joint are relaxed as is the trapezius muscle near
nd the neck as well as the shoulder blade muscles.
When a mouse is positioned to the right or left of a standard keyboard, the arm generally comes away from the trunk of the body to reach for the mouse. The reaching is generally forward or to the side. This side reaching is called an outward rotation at the shoulder joint. This outward rotation occurs frequently as the arm moves between typing tasks and then reaches for a mouse and back again, she said.
Where a mouse is placed can increase the amount of forward reaching or outward rotation. Both these positions take the shoulder joint out of a neutral position into very awkward, non-neutral joint positions. Repeating and maintaining these non-neutral joint and arm postures increases workloads in the muscles of the neck, shoulder, upper and middle back, elbow and forearm and is a contributing factor to discomfort or injury in those areas of the body, she said.
To keep the shoulder and arm in neutral joint position, Dempster says a mouse should be positioned as close to the keyboard as possible through the workday. Try not to have the mouse deviate away where the arm becomes extended when using it.
Alternate mouse products are also available where the mouse is re-aligned in front of the user which maintains neutral shoulder joint positioning, reduces extended reaching and eliminates the outward rotation at a shoulder joint, says Dempster.
PROPER SEATING
“I can’t stress the importance of proper seating for upper extremity support when typing or using a mouse,” said Dempster.
When seating does not provide highly adjustable height, lateral and swivel 360 armrest/armcap features, the risk of the employee having to rest or lean on the edge of a table occurs.
When we are in jobs where we type or use a mouse a lot, the typing posture is held for extended periods. If the weight of the arm is not properly supported, it can be transferred onto the neck, shoulders, upper and middle back muscles. These structures over time wear out and employees begin to notice fatigue in those areas, then discomfort, then pain. This is when they begin to seek out treatments like massage therapy, or physiotherapy, she says.
All chairs are not designed equally even though they may be marketed as an “office ergonomic chair” with many adjustable features, warns Dempster. This does not guarantee that it will provide adequate support. If someone does a lot of typing or using a mouse, the chair must fit the lower body with seat height and depth, as well as the upper body with armrest height adjustability, arm cap lateral feature, 360 swivel feature and padded soft foam underlay arm caps. This will provide maximum support.
“I have assisted in the improvement of many neck and shoulder injuries over the years by simply having proper upper extremity support from seating,” says Dempster noting to always consult with a certified ergonomist when sourcing seating.
Overall, a lot of it comes down to education. Make sure you and your employees are aware of proper ergonomics. Your body will thank you for it.