RSI syndrome is often referred to as mouse arm or secretary’s disease – these names already hint at what lies behind the condition. Right now, if you are reading this text, you are probably performing a very one-sided movement: The hand clasps the mouse, only the index finger curves, presses the left mouse button, click, relaxes briefly, curves, click, and on and on. For many people who work in front of a computer screen every day, this happens a thousand times. Pain in the hand, arm, shoulder and neck can be a consequence of monotonous work with the computer mouse. The cause is almost always poor posture combined with stress, because the PC does not prescribe any breaks of its own accord. But you can do something preventively against RSI syndrome.
Incorrect posture as a trigger of mouse arm
If the mouse lies too far away from the body, pain will set in at some point, for example if the arm is stretched too much. This is also the case when you seem to be relaxed in a chair reclined surfing the Internet. This puts permanent strain on the shoulder-arm muscles. The further you lean back, the greater the strain on your elbows and wrists. Many people don’t let go of the mouse at all in order to be able to click again as quickly as possible. People often do not take initial slight pain, tingling or numbness seriously, although permanent damage can result. Thus, chronic overuse or incorrect use leads to RSI syndrome in the long term.
RSI syndrome increasingly common
Occupational scientists expect a significant increase in the future of complaints known as RSI, the abbreviation for Repetitive Strain Injury. In addition to mouse arm in the broadest sense, these include all skeletal and muscular disorders as well as vision problems caused by monitors. More than 60 percent of people who work at a PC for more than three hours a day complain of discomfort.
Symptoms: More than pain in the arm
RSI symptoms very often involve micro-injuries and tissue changes that can no longer be healed and can affect muscles, tendons, nerves or joints. Symptoms can occur in the arm, hands and fingers, neck or shoulders and manifest as disorders such as mild pain, lack of strength and tension to tendonitis or ganglion. The most common symptoms of mouse arm include:
- Pain
- Lack of strength
- Numbness, tingling or feeling cold
- Restricted mobility of the joints (stiffening)
- Coordination disorders
In the early stages, symptoms are often noticeable only with prolonged exercise and disappear with rest. Advanced, extreme cases of RSI hardly allow affected individuals to hold a full cup of coffee without pain.
The keyboard also causes cramping
But it’s not just the mouse that causes problems. Typing data on the keyboard can also cause RSI symptoms. After all, particularly skilled people bring it up to 230 to 350 keystrokes per minute – but these use all fingers. The average surfer is content with the index fingers, the one or other finger is occasionally added – and a rather one-sided load occurs here as well. The mostly board-shaped keyboard almost always forces the typist to sit incorrectly. Automatically, the shoulders contract, the shoulder-neck area tenses up. The tendons in the wrists are often deflected too much, and this causes too much friction – inflammations are the result.
Breaks and exercise prevent
Computers, without everyone being so aware of it, are a mental burden because they basically ask you to keep going. Again and again, there are actions, commands and questions; when playing, the goal is to reach the next level – all of which is done frequently enough without breaks, until the pain comes. What can you do about it yourself? First of all, it is very important to improve your posture. The mouse should be pulled closer to the body, and you should also not hold it permanently. The arm should lie relaxed and be pampered with stretching exercises in between. Many actions that can be performed with the mouse can also be done with keyboard commands, so-called shortcuts. You can find the most important shortcuts in the tips below. Breaks are the be-all and end-all, preferably with relaxation exercises.You can trick yourself into taking movement breaks by placing various office equipment such as printers as far away from your desk as possible so that you have to stand up more often. Other actions such as making phone calls or reading can be done standing up.
The right keyboard and mouse
There are ergonomic, two-section keyboards that reduce tension in the shoulder-neck area. These keyboards lack the right-hand key pads, a numeric keypad that most computer users don’t use anyway, so there’s more room for the mouse. The feet under the keyboard should be folded down so that it rests as flat as possible, because that way the wrists aren’t angled up too far. And: the ten-finger system is a proven method against one-sided strain on a few fingers. The mouse can also be replaced by an ergonomic alternative. For example, there are vertical mice or pen tablets that allow a completely different hand position.
Ergonomic workstations at home
Not only in the office, but also at home you should pay attention to ergonomically designed workstations. The maxim of ergonomics is: “Ergonomics should make it possible to prevent human impairment, especially by eliminating all influences that can reduce performance or cause physical impairment.” However, laptops and notebooks, which are so practical, are not one of them: they are completely unsuitable for regular use in the workplace. In fact, with a few exceptions, they do not meet the legal requirements for ergonomic needs. The fixed connection between monitor and keyboard is particularly harmful, as it leads to forced postures.
Treatment of mouse arm
First and foremost, mouse arm should be taken easy on. Depending on the severity and duration of the pain, therapy for RSI syndrome also involves medication (painkillers or anti-inflammatory agents) or physical medicine methods, such as heat and cold treatments or massages. Infrared lamps or medical exercise baths can also help to relax the muscles and relieve pain. However, treatment of mouse arm should include more than just relief of acute pain. Therapy also includes education about work organization, ergonomics, stress management and about the function of pain memory. Muscle relaxation, stretching and strengthening exercises should be learned and reinforced in long-term training. Psychotherapy can also complement treatment. The goal is to improve working posture and computer work behavior in the long term.
RSI syndrome: is a cure possible?
If the condition is detected and treated early, the outlook for recovery is usually good. However, if the disease has already become chronic, treatment is often difficult and permanent impairment cannot always be ruled out. Therefore, it is advisable to prevent the development of the complaints by taking appropriate measures and to see a doctor already at the first appearance of complaints.
Typing instead of clicking – general keyboard commands
Here are a few general keyboard shortcuts to help you save some mouse clicks:
- Bold letters: CTRL+SHIFT+F
- Italicize letters: CTRL+SHIFT+K
- Underline letters: CTRL+SHIFT+U
- Copy the selected text or object: CTRL+C
- Cut the selected text or object: CTRL+X
- Paste text or an object: CTRL+V
- Undoing the last command: CTRL+Z
- Repeat last command: CTRL+Y
Also, you can view a list of all keyboard commands in the help menu (F1 key).
