(You may need to adjust your keyboard/mouse height, seat height, and foot support in order to accomplish this, but it’s really, really important! Set the mouse/keyboard surface at the same height as the bottom of your elbows, with your shoulders relaxed.) (Literally, measure!) This should correct any tendency to bend the wrist while keying or mousing. Confirm that your keyboard and mouse are at elbow height. Our recommendations? Before you purchase a wrist rest for your mouse, please:ġ. This can result in very repetitive wrist motion, if the wrist is “planted” on a wrist rest. Now that many people use multiple screens, we’re using our mouse to drive the cursor longer and longer distances. In addition, when you rest your forearm on a wrist rest at the mouse, you will control the mouse with a “windshield wiper” wrist motion (shown at right), which can lead to new wrist problems. Why is it bad to rest your arm? It isn’t always harmful to rest your arms on the desk, but if your wrist is bent (which happens when your keyboard or mouse is too high or too low, or if you’re resting on a hard edge such as the corner of your desk or table), then you increase the pressure on that nerve that is involved with carpal tunnel syndrome. This causes fatigue and discomfort, and the natural response to tired and sore shoulder muscles is to rest the weight of your arm on whatever surface is available. If your elbow is not resting against the side-seam of your shirt, then your shoulder muscles must work to hold your hand out.

Why does the pressure across the carpal tunnel exist? In our experience, this problem occurs because the mouse is used on a surface that is too high or too far away. Recently, we came across a new product, invented in London Ontario, that aims to address this pressure issue by cushioning the carpal tunnel using an adhesive pad. Many people use a gel or foam-filled cushion at their mouse, to alleviate pressure across the carpal tunnel.

Mouse pad with wrist rest