Ergonomics for Mouse-Intensive Jobs

I saw this article on ChiroHealth, a publication from the American Chiropractic Association for patients and chiropractic advocates.

Workers such as architects, graphic designers, animators and computer-aided design (CAD) users spend countless hours in front of computers barely ever changing position. Does this sound familiar? If your job keeps you planted at your desk all day consider the following factors to help prevent injuries:

• Prevent forearm overuse – Find a mouse that fits your hand, and then slide your palm up to rest on the mouse and use your whole arm to move the mouse when possible. If you rest your wrist on the desk for extended periods, consider using a soft gel pad to minimize pressure on the carpal tunnel. The best solution is to invest in a graphic tablet that will allow you to use a digital pen with a more relaxed and neutral position of the fingers, hand, wrist and forearm.
• Prevent neck pain – You should be able to use your mouse with your elbow at your side and your hand directly in front of you. Try a keyboard that has a separate number pad or one that is on the left of the keyboard, which frees up space on the right for the mouse.

Choose a specialty chair – Recently, more chairs have been designed with a pear-shaped back, particularly with mouse-intensive users in mind. This type of chair supports the spine, but frees the scapula to move, encouraging whole-arm use rather than motion only from the wrist.

For more information, ask Dr. Permenter at your next appointment. Call to schedule at 704.569.3130.