Diagnosis
The diagnosis of a mouse arm is difficult, because most of the affected persons do not show a uniform picture of symptoms. In addition, imaging procedures such as X-rays, CT or MRI do not reveal any signs of disease, injuries or changes. Therefore, there is not yet a uniform diagnosis for the mouse arm according to the ICD key, which systematizes the diagnoses.
The diagnostic measures in cases of suspected mouse arm are thus limited to the patient’s complaints and symptoms and clearly recognizable signs of disease. Important for the diagnosis of a mouse arm is information about the profession and the movements associated with it. The following factors are important: total length of employment in years, as well as the daily duration of activity, movement cycles, break design, abnormalities in posture and movement, the arrangement of work equipment, and the psychological component (e.g., the ability to use a mouse arm).B. Stress factors). If these data match the organic findings, the mouse arm can be diagnosed in the acute and chronic form.
Therapy
The therapy of the mouse arm aims to create a long-term pain-free relationship and to lead the patient back to the old performance level. In principle, it is not advisable to immobilize the affected body parts completely, but a break from the stereotypical movement can help the diseased compartments to recover. This purpose is served by bandages that are available for various parts of the body (wrist, elbow, etc.).
Relief through pain and anti-inflammatory drugs or surgical measures usually only lasts for a short time and is therefore only beneficial for acute conditions. Therefore, it is important to change the movements that lead to the complaints in order to treat the mouse arm sustainably and prevent it from becoming chronic. The continuative therapy of the mouse arm initially includes the working environment.
There, changes can be achieved by improving the ergonomic design of the workplace and by more alternative movements that break through familiar patterns. There are also special computer keyboards or mice that make movements more comfortable and ergonomic. The sitting position and the correct position of the monitor also play a decisive role, as do the posture angles of the hand and forearms.
Dynamic sitting additionally relieves the strained musculature. Ergonomic office chairs or gymnastic balls are suitable for this. Regular breaks with stretching exercises during work should loosen the muscles and provide relief as a support for physiotherapy.
But the mouse arm should also be treated outside the workplace. Physiotherapeutic exercises help here and are on the one hand movement exercises that erase the old, painful movement patterns and are intended to help learn new movement patterns and on the other hand heat and cold treatments. The warmth serves to relax the muscles and alleviate the pain.
In addition, the temperature-dependent stimuli stimulate the nerves. Furthermore, tactile and stretching exercises as well as general gymnastics are suitable for the therapy of the mouse arm. There are numerous simple exercises, through which anyone can easily relax the muscles.
A simple example is the fist: after you have spread your fingers very far apart, you clench your skin into a fist. Then you loosen the hand again and start again. A massage ball for the hand offers additional possibilities to train the muscles.
Furthermore, the treatment also includes the use of functional tapes (kinesio tapes). The kinesio – tape is intended to increase the blood circulation of the affected muscles, which results in the muscles relaxing. In addition to the conventional medical therapy options, naturopathy with acupuncture also offers a possibility for additional therapy of the mouse arm.
