If we stop to think about the main physical problems that the new technological life has generated, we could highlight two above the rest. The first, eye defects such as presbyopia; the second, known as 'Mouse Syndrome' that occurs when driving the peripheral for a long time. It is convenient, therefore, to know tricks to use the mouse and not suffer the consequences..
This pathology is related to carpal tunnel syndrome: it occurs when the median nerve, which runs down from the elbow to the hand, becomes trapped as it passes through the carpal tunnel, an area of ligaments located under the palm of the hand . Its usual symptoms are numbness, throbbing pain, and loss of strength and mobility in the affected wrist.
Some tricks to use the mouse
First of all, we must play it safe: if we have been experiencing discomfort for a while, it is advisable to visit our GP, who will check to what extent there may be an injury. If it was not serious, he could send rest and apply ice with a towel, prescribe an anti-inflammatory ointment, etc. Even this pain could have origin in some rheumatic pathology. Each person requires a different study ..
Having said that, we show you some tricks to use the mouse and thus avoid health problems in our computer tasks.
Improve your posture
According to the ISO regulations, one of our biggest defects as a user is in the position of the arm, since we tend to shrink it too much and create an angle with the forearm, like a chicken wing, and immediately to stretch it, forcing it to stay on edge. To avoid complications later, the elbow must be supported or accommodated as long as possible. The hand should rest on the mouse horizontally, without assuming pressure due to tension. The only effort must be made from the hand that moves the mouse. Movement should be natural, in a straight line, uniform from hand to fingers ..
Configure the mouse
Both in Windows or Linux we have the possibility to modify the speed of the cursor, scrolling and double click. In addition, most gaming mice allow you to create user profiles : play with your configuration until you find the optimal one. Also if you use a trackpad on a laptop, since we can assign gestures for one, two or four fingers, take advantage of them.
Buy a mouse that meets your needs
Smaller mice have been shown to be much more prone to injury. This should be tall, compact (a fin to rest the thumb would not spare either) and have the exact number of options. Better if it is wireless. The reason is simple: the cables generate tension and force to be attentive to the excess amount .
In PC we could recommend the Lenovo X1 Presenter, a wireless peripheral, designed with a 'V' shape to be comfortable and providing a space for the palm of the hand to rest naturally.
If you prefer a cheaper and wired one, we can recommend the Lenovo Legion.
This is, without a doubt, one of the best tricks to use the mouse and not suffer in the attempt: buy the most suitable for our work and leisure needs.
A matching mat
This is the great pending issue. Years ago the mat was sold as an inseparable complement; But, since the LED or laser sensor mice replaced the ball ones, it is common to find yourself using the mouse without this addition. However, it greatly affects its behavior, its responsiveness and speed.
Razer maintains a whole philosophy around this idea. Its mats with embedded silver foils improve the reflectivity of the surface to the mouse sensors. The trick is to find a thin mat, in order to avoid unevenness with the table and, if possible, to include a slight ramping step at the bottom, to avoid friction with the wrist. Be very careful with mats with gel wrist rests : if they have very pronounced and non-ergonomic shapes, they will end up being more of an enemy than an ally.
Rest and exercise: your whole body is connected
Carpal tunnel syndrome causes the tendons in the hand to wear down and atrophy , causing them to become inflamed. This limits the space available to the tendons themselves, something very common in jobs that require the use and pressure of the wrists or any job that involves force and tension with the hands.
In these cases, the logical thing is to take breaks of ten minutes for every hour . From the chair where we sit to the posture we acquire with our legs ... everything determines how our body will support long work sessions.
Ideally, the chair should be 45-50 cm high and the table 70-75 cm, maintaining a logical distance from the torso. It is more coherent to force the position of the monitor where we look than to bend the shoulders and end up with serious back pain.
Reduce mouse use
If we have achieved a gamer keyboard to match, we can make use of macros. One of the tips is in the use of commands. Not only the ones we already know, such as copy and paste. We can also configure the path of the printer, the shortcuts of the tabs in the browser, and others. Knowing the fast routes of orders will make you move less, press less and your hand suffer the least.
Look for healthier alternatives
Prolonged use of the mouse almost always leads to some kind of problem. Opting for a graphics tablet is one of the best options, since they can be found at a good price. Thus, we reduce the pressure we exert on the wrist and we can move faster. The idea would be to use one with a great incline so that you do not have to do a lot of travel with the arm and that the stylus has its own controller so as not to use third-party software .
Finally, we advise the reader to visit a computer store and listen to the advice , measure the space available on your table and think about the possibility of mounting vertical mice, to decide the one that best suits our workflow.
