The following tips should help you avoid a mouse-related musculoskeletal injury. The same posture principles apply to other input devices (e.g. trackball, touchpad, pen, etc.). Postural variation is a key factor for good ergonomics. Try to regularly vary your posture when you work with a mouse, and in this way you will help to minimize the risk of ergonomic problems. The best ergonomic mice are designed to allow you to vary your posture while working with the mouse.
- Mouse Grip – don’t grip your mouse too tightly. Hold the mouse gently to move it over a tracking surface.
- Mouse from the Elbow – don’t skate or flick the mouse with your wrist. Make controlled mouse movements using your elbow as the pivot point and keep your wrist straight and neutral. Anything that impairs free movement of the forearm/hand and mouse will increase injury risks.
- Optimal Mouse position - sit back in your chair, relax your arms then lift your mousing hand up, pivoting at the elbow, until your hand is just above elbow level. Your mouse should be positioned somewhere around this point. Don’t use a mouse by stretching to the desk or out to the side of a keyboard.
- Avoid restricting circulation – For may people there are exposed blood vessels near the skin at the wrist, which is where the pulse is often taken. Any pressure in this region will disrupt circulation into the hand and this will increase the risks of injury.
- Don’t use a Wrist Rest - research has shown that using a wrist rest doubles the pressure inside the carpal tunnel. Do not use softly padded wrist rests, especially one that is rounded, or a soft chair arm rest. Doing so ‘locks’ the forearm into position.
- Mouse shape – choose a mouse design that fits your hand but is as flat as possible to reduce wrist extension. Don’t use a curved mouse. Use a symmetrically shaped mouse and consider using a larger mouse. Pen-based mice designs also allow a more comfortable grip.
- Load sharing – if you want to load share between your right and left hands, that is using the mouse for some of the time with each hand. For this you need to choose a mouse platform that can easily be configured to the left or/and right, and a symmetrical shaped mouse that can be used by either hand.
Adapted/summarized from Cornell University Ergonomics Web, http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/cumousetips.html by Professor Alan Hedge, Cornell University.
