This article was
written by ErgoRisk

Mouse Use - Rid Yourself of Pests

Look for these small critters hiding out near your mouse. Just start using your mouse and watch them come out of the woodwork, threatening your mouse and your hand’s health. We’ll give you tips on how to eradicate these pests.

1.Handus Hoveramus

Known for having fingers suspended over the buttons only pouncing to click and creating static tension in the hand and forearm muscles. Can also infect keyboards.

Eradication Tips:

Rest your fingers on the buttons (if you rest them lightly the buttons shouldn’t click)
Slide your hand forward on the mouse slightly – it doesn’t have to be your fingertip on the button
Consider a different type of input device e.g. trackballs which give your fingers a place to rest without clicking

2.Mouse Stranglers and Mousus Liftalot

These predators also lead to significant tension in the hand and particularly the thumb. Often associated with intense work styles and / or a feeling of “running out of mouse space”.

Eradication Tips:

Adjust your mouse speed settings – a more sensitive mouse needs less space.

This article was
written by ErgoRisk

The Mouse Trap Of Ergonomics

It’s hard to believe that 20 years ago, computers weren’t used much at work and the mouse had only recently been invented (1984). Today, using the mouse is a fundamental part of the workday. Unfortunately, intensive use of these or other secondary input devices can be a source of discomfort or pain. Hopefully, our advice will keep you from feeling the pain of the mouse trap.

BEWARE the mouse “trap”

• Do you have a love/hate relationship with your mouse?
• Do you have more quality contact time with your mouse than your spouse?
• Here are the fast facts on this workplace pest.

Get a grip

• Your mouse position and set-up dictates your shoulder and wrist posture.
• Your work habits can make the problem worse.
• Park your wrist in ‘neutral’ and relax your grip on the wheel.
• Inhale, exhale, repeat as necessary.

The wedge or the putter?

Standard mice fit most people’s hands and meet the demands of day to day computing. However, if you’re a high intensity computer user or have discomfort, alternative input devices can help you minimize the stress on your wrist and arm.

Shadow puppets

Once you understand that repetition and awkward postures can lead to discomfort – what can you do to manage? Stretching and exercises can help to ease the tension in overworked muscles.

This article was
written by ErgoRisk

Hand and Wrist Health - Keyboards and Mouse

Human hands are unique and one of our greatest assets. Can you imagine not being able to work with your hands? Unchecked, signs and symptoms of wrist discomfort can progress to severe pain that impacts every part of your life.

Common signs and symptoms in the hand include discomfort, stiffness, numbness, tingling, redness, and weakness.

Some of the most common reasons that we develop problems with our wrists and hands are:

• Wrists bent upwards or to the side when typing
• Using repetitive sideways wrist movements with the wrist bent backward when using the mouse (awkward postures)
• Using our wrist as an anchor point, resting it down on a hard surface when using the mouse or keyboard (contact stress)
• Overloading of one hand (and arm). For example, accountants, graphics designers and CAD technicians do over 80% of their work with their right hand (extremely high number pad and mouse use).
• Using the keyboard or mouse with awkward postures of the fingers (e.g. see the picture on the bottom right).
• Working with the thumbs bent backward and with the pinkie fingers raised are more common than you may think
• Not giving our wrists and hands time to rest throughout the day
• It can be difficult to modify the work that we do in our job. However, we can control when we take breaks, when we alternate between desk work and other work and our posture throughout the day.

Take a look at our ‘Microbreak’ guide to get a few suggestions on how to give your hands a break