Wrist Hurts From Computer Mouse

Working on computers, for long periods of time, used to break me down. I sat at a desk full-time for 11 years. I’d estimate 2,000 hours per year. So that’s at least 22,000 hours in just over a decade. It wasn’t easy to fix my computer pain. But it was attainable. I’ve fixed about 90% of my Carpal Tunnelrepetitive strain injuries caused by computer use.

It’s common to experience pain in several parts of the body. Shoulder rotator cuffs, neck, and lower back. Those come to mind first, from my personal experience.

Wrist Hurts From Computer Mouse — This article will talk about how I fixed my wrist pain that was caused by a tall, bulky computer mouse.

One of the most painful computer injuries I had was wrist pain, commonly known as carpal tunnel syndrome. It was actually one of the easier posture problems I fixed.

Repetitive movements and poor computer posture caused my wrists to hurt. Surprisingly, I actually fixed it by accident. And the wrist pain hasn’t come back since.

So today, I’m sharing a guide on how to deal with wrist pain from computer mouse use.

I’m going to talk about what caused my wrist pain from using a computer mouse. Hopefully this can help you deal with your pain. Or, better yet, prevent it in the future.

3 ways to improve computer posture immediately — My eBook will help you turn your desk into an asset that promotes good posture (soon as you sit in your chair). It talks about the 3 most important variables of computer ergonomics. It’s a quick read (5 minutes, tops). Snag your copy at SittingPosture.com/ebook.

What Causes Wrist Pain From Computer Mouse

My carpal tunnel pain was caused by poor wrist positioning. Then, holding my wrists in that compromised position for long periods of time.

Look at the image below. Although this user is typing on a keyboard and not actively using his computer mouse, it’s still a great example in this case.

Look at the red line on his forearm. Then, look at the blue line on his hand. You’ll notice that the blue line goes up at a significant upward angle, compared to the red line on his forearm. This tells us that his keyboard is tall. Which causes him to put his wrists at a vulnerable angle. His wrists are not in a straight, neutral position. This caused nerve compression in my wrists.

bended wrist using keyboard and mouse — Look at how this user’s wrists are bent, in an unhealthy position. His keyboard and mouse are tall, so he has to bend his wrists to lift his hands up to type and click. Image by Miflippo via Megapixl.

His mouse is also tall. So, it’ll cause the same poor hands and wrists positioning that the keyboard does. The repetitive motions of typing and clicking will put even more stress on the wrists.

What is The Correct Wrist Posture While Using Computers

Proper computer posture is an attainable goal. Sitting at a computer doesn’t have to hurt. We just need to make small changes to our daily habits, then practice them consistently.

Some of these habits include:

Take regular breaks to get out of computer posture and move around
Elbow height slightly above desk level
Eye level even with the top of a monitor screen
Don’t sit with anything in your back pocket (wallet, phone, etc)
Keep feet flat on the floor at all times
Keep your shoulders relaxed

And last but not least, these 2 tips are related to today’s article:

Use a flat, ergonomic keyboard and mouse
Keep wrists straight, in a balanced neutral position

These can help prevent wrist pain, because they don’t require us to extend our wrists upward (like a tall keyboard and mouse would require).

For more general computer posture tips, check out how to improve posture while sitting at computer.

Related: Sore Wrist From Typing

How To Help Your Wrist When Using A Computer Mouse

Use a Flat, Ergonomic Mouse

I’ve seen different styles of very unique, ergonomic computer mice. But my personal preference is to use the regular, external mouse style. But it has to be flat, low-profile.

I don’t want to have to extend my wrist to lift my hand up onto the mouse.

flat keyboard | Wrist Hurts From Computer Mouse — This is similar to the flat, low-profile keyboard and mouse that I use. Notice how low they both are to the desk. Image by Hugo Barbosa via Unsplash.

Keep Wrist Straight, Flat on the Desk

I’m not a fan of wrist rests. I like placing my wrists on the desk, the old-fashioned way. Keeping my wrists straight and flat on the desk.

straight wrist keyboard position — Although this image doesn’t include a mouse, the same rule applies. Notice how the user’s wrists are straight in this image. The flat keyboard doesn’t require him to hold his wrists in an extended position. This is also a healthy wrist position when using a mouse. Image by Peshkova via Megapixl.

Those are literally the only ergonomic adjustments I’ve made to get rid of my computer wrist pain. I didn’t try any treatment options at all.

Ironically, I learned both of them by accident. Years ago, I’d been working in my home office. And I had a tall, bulky keyboard and mouse. This caused me to extend my wrists, to place my hands up high onto the devices.

Until one week, I decided to get out of my home office for a change of scenery. Starting that Monday, I worked on a public computer. It was an Apple Mac.

Side note: Nothing in this article is paid promotion.

I bought these items with my own money. And I enjoy sharing products that’ve helped improve my computer posture.

Okay, back to the story. The public computer I was using had an ergonomic, flat keyboard and mouse. I used it every day that week. By that Thursday, my chronic wrist pain was completely gone. It was all because I had worked 4 days in a row, with my wrists in a healthy, neutral position.

It was eye-opening how switching out 2 simple devices, could be such a simple way to improve posture at computer.

After that Thursday, I immediately went and bought the same flat keyboard and mouse that I’d been using on that public computer. My wrist pain hasn’t come back since. That was many years ago.

Thanks for your interest in computer posture.