Do you have mouse arm? Do these exercises to avoid repetitive strain injury

Working on a laptop or computer for most of the day might give you the so-called mouse arm. — dpa

Think mouse arm is what Micky Mouse has? Not quite, but good try.

It is instead, a nicer way to describe a repetitive strain injury that can happen to the hand you use to click and scroll around on the computer all day.

It can be pretty painful, but there are some easy “workouts” that you can do daily to help avoid developing this type of injury.

The German Society for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery recommends the following:

• Shake your hands and arms several times an hour.
• Ball your hands up into fists and clasp your thumb. Hold briefly, then open your hands and spread fingers. Do this a total of 10 times.
• Make circular movements with your hands, alternating between your fingers being spread out and a fist. Change directions several times.

It can be especially tough when working from home to have a set-up that’s optimal for preventing this type of injury.

Workers should check that their mouse isn’t harming them, and an ergonomic keyboard or hand rest can do a world of good, say the orthopaedic experts.

An office chair with height-adjustable armrests is helpful for managing strain, and the monitor should be positioned so that the head and shoulders remain relaxed.

Laptops make this hard, so it’s best not to work on one for an extended period of time if possible.

If you are working with a laptop for the foreseeable future, try adding on an external mouse, monitor and keyboard, and placing the laptop in an elevated position to ensure your back stays straight. – dpa