Prevention for Keyboard and Mouse Users
Using a keyboard and mouse for more than 8 hours a day can cause problems anywhere in your wrist, elbow, or shoulder. You can prevent them by improving your workspace and adopting a few simple habits.
Workspace Setup
Keyboard
- Elbows at 90 degrees
- Wrists neutral (not bent back)
- Fold down the keyboard feet
- Keep it close to your body
Mouse
- Same height as the keyboard
- Sized to fit your hand
- Move from your whole arm
- Don’t bend only the wrist
Better Habits
- Every 20 minutes. Shake out your hands and stretch your fingers
- Every hour. Stand up and stretch your arms and shoulders
- Typing posture. Keep wrists floating, don’t type with them resting on a wrist pad
- Click pressure: press lightly, don’t pound the keys
Simple Stretches
- Wrist stretch. Extend your arm and use the other hand to pull your fingers back, hold for 15 seconds
- Finger spread. Spread your fingers as wide as possible and hold for 5 seconds, repeat 10 times
- Make and open a fist: clench tightly, then open wide, 10 times
- Wrist circles. Slowly rotate your wrists in both directions
Already in pain?
Prevention alone won’t resolve pain that has already set in. Improve your condition with treatment first, then keep up the preventive habits.
Programs Tailored to Office Workers
We combine treatment with prevention education suited to your line of work.
Frequently Asked Together
References
- Andersen JH et al. Computer use and carpal tunnel syndrome: a 1-year follow-up study. JAMA. 2003;289(22):2963-2969. PMID 12799404
- Roquelaure Y et al. Work-related risk factors for lateral epicondylitis in a large working population. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2011;37(6):502-509.
- Gerr F et al. A prospective study of computer users: I. Study design and incidence of musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders. Am J Ind Med. 2002;41(4):221-235. PMID 11920967
- Thomsen JF et al. Risk factors for hand-wrist disorders in repetitive work. Occup Environ Med. 2002;59(8):517-521.