Long working hours at the computer often cause pain in the elbows, neck and shoulders, but you can practice so-called mouse arm exercises to combat this. This condition primarily affects the biceps, with the main causes being poor posture and movement imbalance. Fortunately, common signs and symptoms can be effectively prevented with targeted practices. So, if you are also one of those suffering from it, here are some health tips and tried-and-tested pain relief methods that can help you recover faster.
Why you should use exercises as sports medicine against mouse arm
Since in such cases the arm hurts with every movement and this is due to the constant clicking, scrolling and moving of the computer mouse, certain movements orPhysiotherapy as a preventative measurehelp. Otherwise, such regular, small movements could be enough to cause elbow pain later. Such pain accumulates and can then lead to mouse arm.
This causes other symptoms such as neck pain, shoulder pain, tingling in the hands, or even loss of strength. From a medical perspective, this is a condition that occurs at the proximal (closer to the center of the body) tendon insertion of the long head of the biceps muscle. The biceps muscle is involved in both elbow and shoulder flexion. As the name suggests, PC gamers or working professionals are more likely to suffer this injury from using the computer mouse.
Medical background of the pain condition
Abuse and imbalance disrupts the fiber orientation of the tendon. This dysfunction is called tendinopathy, which is different from tendinitis, leading to the condition's common misnomer. In addition, mouse arm is not a recognized occupational disease because the symptoms are very non-specific and similar to those of other diseases. These are, for example, diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow or golf elbow. They also arise from monotonous and one-sided movements. The pain is expressed in the tendon tissue of the elbow, also called insertional tendinopathy of the vascular muscles.
In tennis elbow (epicondylitis radial humeri), the outside of the elbow is affected, while in golf elbow (epicondylitis medial humeri), the inside suffers. However, mouse arm cannot be precisely assigned to either type of epicondylitis because the symptoms are more diverse and are not limited to the elbow area. The age at which the disease usually occurs is similar. Symptoms most commonly occur in people between 45 and 60 years old.
Which exercises can prevent mouse arm and relieve the pain
You have many options to prevent a mouse arm or to relax the painful muscles. In all exercises, the focus is on movement. This allows you to mobilize muscles and joints that you cannot move or can only move on one side during work.
Stretching exercises (described for the right arm)
Forearm:
- First, extend your right arm so that the inside of your elbow and your right palm are facing up.
- Then use your left hand to grasp the fingers of your right hand.
- Now use your left hand to press the fingers of your right hand down so that you hyperextend your right wrist. Keep your arm straight.
- You should then be able to feel a stretch in your forearm.
Inside elbow:
- Extend your right arm as before.
- This time place your left hand from below on the back of your right hand.
- Push the fingers of your right hand up, this time bending your wrist.
- You should now feel a stretch on the inside of your elbow.
Loosen the arm muscles
Sitting for long periods of time and monotonous mouse clicks only move the muscles in one direction. Therefore, you should relax your arms regularly during working hours.
Circular movements:
- Not only can you rotate your arms, but also your wrists, elbows, shoulders, and neck.
Tense muscles specifically:
Most problems occur in the elbow. This exercise promotes blood circulation in this muscle region.
- Form a fist with your hand and tense your muscles for a few seconds.
- Release again and spread your fingers.
- Repeat this process three to five times.
Other measures that should replace mouse arm exercises
There are many individual measures you can take to prevent mouse arm. However, a preventative measure alone is not always enough to prevent muscle tension. Therefore, you should try different preventative measures in combination.
- Change sitting position:Mouse arm is often caused by incorrect sitting positions at the workplace. Therefore, correct ergonomics in the workplace is very important and can prevent tension like the mouse arm. Especially when working from home, you should make sure that you are in the best possible sitting position and that you are well equipped.
- Working while standing:Height-adjustable standing desks can be adjusted in height so that you can avoid unhealthy sitting and working positions.
- Change computer mouse:Special, ergonomic computer mice are intended to enable a more natural hand and arm position. Such a mouse costs on average between 30 and 50 euros or more.
- Reduce mouse clicks:You can also replace many mouse commands with keyboard shortcuts. This makes your movements less monotonous and relieves the strain on your mouse hand. In addition to self-application measures, there are also drug therapies for the mouse arm. Depending on the consultation with the doctor, these can be painkillers, cortisone injections or physiotherapy.
Further tips for health and balance in the workplace
Working from home for particularly long periods of time without much exercise is unhealthy for the body. In addition, family life often takes place in parallel and the separation of work and family is becoming increasingly difficult. This puts strain on the whole body. Lack of motivation, tension, sleep disorders or concentration problems can be the result of overwork and stress. That's why it's important that youBalancing stress at work. There are several options for this:
- Structure and organization:Plan your working day in advance and take short or long breaks. During the short breaks, you can get up from your desk chair and do a few movement and stretching exercises. For example, you can relax your shoulders with circular movements. Open a window every now and then for fresh air, which can have a positive effect on tense muscles.
- Drink enough:When people feel stressed in everyday life, they often forget to drink enough fluids. So again, use your breaks to drink. The healthiest option is water or, alternatively, unsweetened tea.
- Sport and exercise:Try to exercise regularly to keep your body fit and maintain blood flow to the muscles. In addition, daily activities and exercise can also prevent mouse arm. Exercise also helps you get rid of stress and clear your head.
