Do you remember the first time you ever used a computer mouse?
If you’re younger than 30 I think we can assume you are a digital native and don’t have any clear memory of when you first put your hand on a mouse.
Being just a bit older than that, I can picture the day I first used a mouse as if it was yesterday.
I was a stay at home mum – though I don’t remember if I had one child or two at that stage! – and stopped in at my old workplace for some reason (yep, security was also not really an issue back then). One of the girls showed me what I wanted on the computer screen and then encouraged me to use the mouse to hit the print button.
I felt very uncoordinated and awkward as I was surprised by how easily the mouse moved across the pad!
The Rise of Mousework
Fast forward 25 to 30 years and I can’t imagine my life without mousework.
Running a digital marketing agency, I am on a computer a LOT for work; and also in my leisure time, as I enjoy blogging.
While a mouse isn’t really necessary when I use my laptop, I find the trackpad isn’t very user friendly (for this user anyway!).
About ten years ago I developed bursitis in my right shoulder, which made it painful for me to do “mousework”. So I trained myself to use my mouse left-handed, which I’ve been doing ever since.
But over the last 12 months I have been having issues with my wrists – arthritis and no doubt a bit of RSI has caused the tendons etc to become inflamed and painful.
I’ve switched to an ergonomic keyboard, and ordered a left handed ergonomic mouse online as they aren’t something that is stocked in store by Officeworks and the like.
It’s a bit weird looking, but I knew I could adjust. I’ve done it before, when I switched to left handed mousing; and with the ergonomic keyboard.
What I *hadn’t* realised is that when I switched my mouse to the opposite side, I’d learned to use a right handed mouse with my left hand.
So when I tried to use my new fancy ergonomic left handed mouse, the buttons were all the other way around to how I’d been using them!
I was really struggling to adjust.
Adjusting to a Left Handed Ergonomic Mouse
Thankfully the company I’d ordered it from reached out to see how things were going – and so I let them know the issues I was having.
Turns out, there was a simple solution which I’m going to share with you now.
- Go into the computer settings
- Click on devices
- Click on the mouse settings
- And voila – you can choose to switch the buttons on the mouse!
(I might add – this worked a treat with my new ergonomic mouse, but didn’t work at all on the mouse I use with my laptop so I guess it depends on the mouse.)
It’s helping me with reducing the pain, but I’m not gonna lie it’s not been a cure.
I do less mousework these days as I now have 4 team members to help me. I spend a lot more time out and about working on bringing business in, rather than always sitting at the computer.
I’ve been wearing a compression bandage when my wrists get particularly painful, and also use a cream and pop lots of ibuprofen which is not ideal.
The next step will be to book in for a treatment called PRP – Platelet Rich Plasma therapy. It involves drawing some of my own blood, extracting the plasma from it and injecting it into the problem area; studies show it helps stimulate the body’s own healing mechanisms.
It’s worth a try, as the alternatives are:
- an ultrasound guided cortisone injection – I had this 10 years ago when I had bursitis in the shoulder and it didn’t really help. Plus, the next day I looked and felt like I had a really bad sunburn! I’m not keen to repeat that experience!
- surgery – obviously, a last resort.
If you find mousework a breeze, thank your lucky stars … it’s not always that easy!
When was the first time you used a computer mouse?!
