When you use a regular mouse, your wrist is tilted slightly to the side, upward, and inward. The forearm muscles are responsible for these wrist movements. Prolonged use of these muscles and extreme wrist positions are associated with overuse injuries.
When you use a regular mouse, your wrist is tilted slightly to the side, upward, and inward. The forearm muscles are responsible for these wrist movements. Prolonged use of these muscles and extreme wrist positions are associated with overuse injuries.
A vertical mouse aims to solve these problems. You operate such a vertical mouse with movements of your entire arm, so your wrist and thumb rest in a natural position. Of course, you can adjust the size of the mouse to the size of your hand.
The mouse is—besides an inadequate desk height—one of the biggest culprits in developing RSI complaints . It's important to work as much as possible with large movements from your elbow and shoulder and as little as possible with the small forearm muscles from your wrist. Give your mouse enough space to allow for these larger movements. A mouse pad is certainly helpful, as it frees up the necessary space on your work surface. Incidentally, some optical mice on certain surfaces provide poor reception without a mouse pad.
Place the computer mouse in an easily accessible spot next to the keyboard, as close to your body as possible. This way, the mouse is aligned with your shoulder axis and prevents unnecessary strain on that joint.
Just like keyboards, there are various "ergonomic" mouse models that aim for the most neutral wrist position possible. With a "classic" mouse, the wrist is positioned upward (extended), pointed toward the little finger (ulnar deviation), and the palm is turned downward (pronated). Using a vertical mouse limits wrist extension, ulnar deviation, and pronation, so movements are driven less by the wrist and more by the elbow and shoulder. After a short period of adjustment and training, the vertical mouse provides the most natural, relaxed position for the wrist and small finger muscles. Read a study comparing a standard mouse with a vertical mouse at the bottom of this page.
Opinions differ on the use of a trackball. A trackball always stays in the same place, but is controlled by rolling your thumb over a sphere. The ulnar deviation is supposedly slightly smaller, but the extension appears to be greater. Won't using a trackball also shift the problems to the thumb ball joint in the long run?
A mouse with a scroll wheel also limits wrist movements, but requires more effort from your index finger and can cause strain there.
Whichever mouse you choose, don't set the cursor speed too high and also limit the double-click speed. You can easily adjust this yourself in Control Panel > Mouse > Pointer Options.
Let go of your mouse during rest periods. For example, place it on your lap. The so-called "vibrating mouse," which spontaneously starts vibrating if no movement is detected for 10 seconds, alerts you to let go of the mouse. There's also software that alerts you to this. Consciously take breaks with your hands. For example, set your smartphone timer for fifteen minutes.
Even better is to use as many shortcuts and function keys as possible.
Did you know that computer mice come in different sizes? It wouldn't make sense to have someone with large hands use the same type as someone with smaller hands.
Our advisors will help you select the right size and shape. You can also try out a mouse for free at home!
The study involved selecting and deleting certain letters. Wrist joint angles were recorded using an electrogoniometer. Sideways and upward posture were significantly reduced with the vertical mouse. The small forearm muscles responsible for these movements also showed lower muscle activity. Due to the more relaxed wrist position, less force was required to click. There was no difference between the two types of mice in terms of trapezius muscle activity in the neck. The vertical mouse results in less discomfort in the shoulder and wrist. On the other hand, most subjects found the vertical mouse less comfortable because the movements were less fluid. Productivity was also 25% lower, and the general preference was for the traditional computer mouse.
These latter factors could be explained by the fact that using a vertical mouse requires some getting used to and training. The reduced accuracy is due to the large muscles being engaged, which are actually responsible for gross motor skills. However, the number of errors made did not differ.
In terms of preventing musculoskeletal disorders, the vertical mouse is a good solution worth trying. Previous research has shown that pain in the neck, shoulders, forearm, and hand significantly decreases six months after introducing this type of mouse. After an adjustment period, no subjective complaints were noted.
We recently surveyed 120 second-year occupational therapy students: 95% use a laptop and about 75% of them don't use a mouse at all, but their laptop touchpad, which is even worse.
Computer mouse use in two different hand positions: exposure, comfort, exertion and productivity.
Gustafsson E, Hagberg M. Appl Ergon 2003; 34: 107-113. Reviewed by Roeland Motmans www.ergonomiesite.be
You can always try out a computer mouse for free at home for a week. Visit our store so we can advise you on which type is best for you.