As a person who spends a lot of time on the computer, I have started noticing pain in my arm that uses the mouse, my neck and shoulder. This pain goes away when I stop using the computer.
I was forced to seek medical attention and after examination my GP told me it may be a mouth -related repetitive strain injury. I was given tips to help me reduce the pain and for this article I will share my experience and back it up with data from international scientific studies.
Happy reading!😀 and feel free to ask questions in the comments or share your own experience.🙏
Last updated: October, 2026. Written by Juliet Semakula, a diagnostic radiographer.
▶️What exactly is mouse-related repetitive strain injury (RSI)?
Mouse-related repetitive strain injury (RSI), often called “mouse arm,” causes aching, burning, or numbness in the hand, wrist, forearm, and shoulder due to static muscle tension and repetitive clicking.
Here are the common Location Hotspots
Using my arm to constantly click and scroll-wheel, I started feeling a stain in my:
🔴Index & Middle Fingers from constant clicking and scroll-wheel usage.
🔴The base of the thumb pain is caused by pinching or gripping the sides of a mouse too tightly.
🔴Pain at the top of the forearm caused by muscle fatigue from continuously hovering my fingers over the mouse buttons.
🔴Pain around the wrist caused by friction and pressure soreness from dragging the heel of the hand across the mouse mat.
🔴The shoulder & upper back can cause chronic tightness caused by reaching too far forward or outward to use the mouse.
Image showing typical pains associated with using a mouth.
Although this syndrome is not described in the medical literature, dozens of publications are interested in the link between using a mouse and musculoskeletal pain. Here are some of the facts reported.
▶️What are the proposed primary causes or contributing factors of mouse related repetitive strain injury.
⚫Repetitive and monotonous movements of clicking and scrolling by performing thousands of isolated, rapid clicks and scrolls every day overworks the tiny muscles in your fingers and hand.
⚫If you use excessive force by gripping the mouth too tightly or slamming the buttons down can strain tendons unnecessarily.
⚫Micro-movements required for precise cursor steering can cause constant tissue friction and micro-trauma.
⚫Having poor workstation ergonomics using your arms continuously without resting your elbows on the desk or chair arm rests can force you’re your shoulder and neck muscles to stay active to hold your arm.
⚫Using a traditional flat mouse, or one that is too small for your hand, forces your forearm into an unnatural twisted position.
⚫A desk or chair that is too high or low bends the wrist backward or sideways, compressing the carpal tunnel.
⚫Computer work involves static muscle loading, which can restrict healthy blood flow to your tissues.
⚫If you work for hours without pauses deprives the body of the necessary recovery phases to heal minor irritations before they become chronic.
⚫Weak postural support muscles and a lack of regular physical stretching leave your upper body more vulnerable to fatigue.
▶️How can you be sure it’s this and not something else?
Caution! A formal diagnosis cannot be made at home, as there is no single test for Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). There are many shoulder pathologies, especially after the age of 50
However, the strongest indicator of mouse-related RSI is when your pain directly connects to your computer usage
When you go to the doctors, a general practitioner or physiotherapist will be able to determine if it is mouse-related RSI by a process of:
♦️Physically examining your neck, shoulder, arm, and wrist to elimination or to rule out alternative diagnoses that mimic RSI for example arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, wrist and hand fractures
♦️Mapping your personal medical history for example, do you have conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or diabetes which can cause widespread nerve and joint pain.Providers often use blood tests to rule these out
♦️Conducting physical exams to rule out other medical pathologies such as rotator cuff tears or retractile capsulitis.
If your pain is severe the moment you wake up before touching a computer, or if it remains completely unchanged regardless of whether you rest for a week, it points toward an alternative cause which is not mouse related repetitive strain injury.
▶️Mouse related repetitive strain injury (RSI) symptoms
Mouse-related Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) symptoms usually develop gradually over weeks or months, often starting as a mild annoyance during the workdays and progressing to persistent pain if left unaddressed.
Here are some of the symptoms I had before I got a diagnosis
♦️ I felt a “pins and needles” sensation that most commonly affected the thumb, index, and middle fingers that was diagnosed as carpal tunnel strain.
♦️ I had a hot, searing, or raw feeling running along the top of the forearm or wrapped around the wrist.
♦️The affected area becomes highly sensitive to cold temperatures or light touch.
♦️ I had a deep, dull ache in the hand, wrist, forearm, or shoulder that intensified during or immediately after a long session of clicking and scrolling.
️♦️ After a long day working on a computer, I had sudden weakness when trying to hold an object, open a jar, or turn a doorknob.
♦️ I felt visible puffiness or a sharp tenderness when pressing directly on the tendons of the wrist or the outer elbow.
▶️What steps can you take to help you have less mouse related repetitive strain pain.
You can make immediate adjustments to your desk setup to relieve the physical strain on your hand, wrist, and shoulder.
The goal is to return your body to its neutral, relaxed posture to minimize micro-trauma
1️⃣Keep your mouse as close to the side of your keyboard as possible. If you have to reach outward or forward to grab the mouse, you are forcing your shoulder and neck muscles to stay statically contracted.
2️⃣ Position your mouth in different places, especially in front of your computer rather than on its side.
3️⃣If you do not use the number pad on the right side of your keyboard, consider switching to a compact “tenkeyless” keyboard. This allows you to pull your mouse much closer to the centre line of your body, reducing shoulder strain.
4️⃣Adjust your chair or desk height so your elbows sit at a 90 to 100-degree angle. Your forearms should be parallel to the floor, and your shoulders completely relaxed. You can also get an adjustable arm rest for an office desk, see on Amazon, it provides multiple height adjustment levels via a secure, no drill desk clamp.
5️⃣ If you are feeling severe strain, try moving your mouse to the opposite side of your keyboard and using your non-dominant hand for simple navigation task
If adjusting your posture isn’t enough, introducing targeted ergonomic accessories such as Logitech lift vertical ergonomic mouse, see on amazon, its intuitive thumb rest styling and adjustable sensitivity levels.
This can physically block bad habits and redistribute the weight of your arm.
6️⃣Try to stay active, take a break from your computer, stretch your shoulders, neck and arms, this will help you reduce your pain.
We have come to the end of this article, any comments or sharing your experience lets meet in the comments sections.
You may also be interested in these articles.
⚫What can you do about the pain caused by sitting for too long?
⚫What are the advantages of working standing up.
📚Sources:
Van Niekerk SM, Fourie SM, Louw QA. Postural dynamism during computer mouse and keyboard use: A pilot study. Appl Ergon. 2015 Sep;50:170-6. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2015.03.009. Epub 2015 Apr 5. PMID: 25959332.
Oveisi E, Khanlari P, Ebrahimzadeh-Afrouzi M. Carpal tunnel syndrome severity, hand discomfort, and usability among three types of computer mouse. Work. 2024;77(3):873-882. doi: 10.3233/WOR-220492. PMID: 37807794.