Mouse Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)

Mouse Elbow – elbow and arm pain – advice for computer users and RSI avoidanceman with mouse elbow pain

Mouse Elbow is more traditionally known as Tennis Elbow but now the large numbers of computer users suffering elbow pain dwarfs the tennis players!

Mouse Elbow, may not be the the only RSI condition affecting you as a computer mouse or laptop touchpad user. You may have other RSI conditions waiting in the wings which are also associated with using your computer or laptop so be alert to other pains which can occur anywhere between your hand and neck.

What is Mouse Elbow?

Mouse Elbow pain comes from the tendon which connects to the boney bit on the outside of the elbow. Sometimes pain is also felt in the muscle on the outer side of the forearm.

Mouse elbow - lateral epicondylitis

Mouse Elbow symptoms are easily diagnosed by your Doctor, perhaps with X-ray or ultra-sound being used to aid diagnosis. Golfer’s Elbow affects the other side of the elbow joint and is a mirror condition of Mouse Elbow with treatment being essentially the same. Steroid injections may be suggested; they seems to help some sufferers but not others.

Where do you feel Mouse Elbow pain?

Mouse Elbow pain is at the boney bit on the outside of the elbow (see above), however you may also feel pain on the inner side of the elbow as that tendon can also be damaged (known as Golfers Elbow). 

What causes Mouse Elbow

Muscles and tendons get damaged when they are held in a tense position for too long or over stretched.  Traditionally, other causes of Mouse Elbow arose from actions such as tightening a screw with your arm extended, shovelling snow, chopping wood, gardening, walking excited dogs on leashes etc. All scenarios where the arm was tense and extended for a while and often with a twisting action.

Computer and gaming causes of Mouse Elbow

Computer users will find that their mouse or laptop touchpad use causes their arm to be held in tensed postures for long periods. As the hands on the clock spin round, you don’t realise how long the muscles and tendons in your arm have been tensed. The solution is to find a more relaxed posture for your arm which you can’t get from conventional mice and keyboards.

What to look for in Ergonomic mice and keyboards

Pain relief – Tennis Elbow Strap

Tennis / Golfers Elbow StrapA tennis elbow strap can be helpful in reducing the pain. It fastens around your forearm 1 to 2 inch below the elbow.

They work by restricting the amount that your forearm extensor muscle can contract and thereby limiting over use of the tendons that cause your pain. See our straps and supports page.

Address the problem: get yourself an ergonomic vertical mouse and keyboard!

Mouse elbow, typically in right handed people, affects the right elbow because of the issues described below.

  • Although your mouse is the real issue, it is heavily influenced by the type of keyboard you have. Right-handed people will find most desktop keyboards have number and function pads to the right of the standard keys which forces their elbow further away from their side. As a result, your neck, shoulder, arm, elbow and wrist have to support a hovering arm causing all those tendons and muscles to be tensed, fatigue and damage causing pain.

    Compact or mini-keyboards don’t have these extra keypads and so make it possible to use a vertical mouse with your arm at rest and elbow touching your side; far more natural and relaxed.
    Keyboard RSI where the problem lies

  • A conventional mouse twists the arm a quarter turn from its natural resting position and you have to grip your mouse to move it. Holding your mouse arm in this posture for any length of time causes your muscles and tendons to be tensed, fatigue, damage and cause pain.

    A vertical mouse has your forearm resting on the desk in a much more relaxed and natural posture without the same need to grip when moving it.
    mouse-arm-twisting-problem

Good Computer Posture

Your checklist

  1. Good PC PostureMaintain good posture – check these items:-
    • Adjustable height seat
    • Lumber support
    • Screen at arms length
    • Top of screen no higher than your eyes
    • Wrists should be in line with your forearm and hand, not at an angle, when using keyboard and mouse
    • Upper arm should be by your side and your inner elbow should be just about touching your side. Your forearm should be near horizontal and directly in front of your side. Numeric and function keypads on keyboards make this difficult to achieve and the tensed twisted arm posture is a major cause of RSI conditions.
      This is why we strongly recommend a vertical ergonomic mouse and compact ergonomic keyboard
  2. Many people slouch unconsciously. Ask people to check you when you’re not aware. If you slouch, highly effective software to monitor your posture exists using a webcam to spot when your posture ‘goes off’
  3. Don’t maintain any fixed posture for long periods. You need to move your body around a bit so deliberately place things you use a lot too far away from your desk so that you have to stand up to use them. Physiotherapists suggest, humorously, that a seat with upturned pins on it is ideal…ensuring you didn’t sit there for long!
  4. Other tools and aids relevant to computer posture RSI conditions generally are below. : 
    • pull-along laptop/office bag considerably reduces the twisting action on your upper back and shoulder area if you carry a shoulder bag with a laptop or even a substantial lunch box in it!
    • Vibration and massage therapy can bring fast relief to RSI pain caused by tight muscles.
    • A telephone headset eliminates the strain placed on your neck, shoulder and arm, particularly if you hold a handset between your cheek and shoulder.
    • Software that types for you gives the wrists, arm, elbow and neck a rest through being able to dictate emails, reports etc.

For more details and explanatory videos see our ergonomic vertical mouse and compact keyboard page.

What to look for in Ergonomic mice and keyboards

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