Sitting at a desk and working with a mouse can have a huge impact on your shoulder health, and this isn’t something people usually think about. Unlike sports-related activities where shoulder pain is expected, desk work seems so inactive that it’s hard to believe it could cause such discomfort.
However, whether you work for eight hours a day or just shorter periods at home, the effects on your shoulders are very real. These days, more people than ever are working from home, either temporarily due to social distancing (also called physical distancing) or permanently as a remote professional. If you’ve found yourself working on your laptop at the kitchen table or at a makeshift desk, you might already be feeling troublesome pain in your shoulders and neck.
That’s good news for those of us whose jobs require us to sit and work on a computer – there are many ways to correct and prevent further issues. What causes this pain while using proper workspace setup can make your environment more supportive and comfortable.
After all, you don’t want your work to cause ongoing problems with your body. In this article, you’ll learn about how to look at your workspace, do simple changes to relieve pain, and strengthen your shoulders to reduce discomfort. Time spent creating a better workspace will help you work better and feel better too.
Why Does Typing Hurt Your Shoulders?
When you type, your shoulders work harder than you might think. Here’s what happens:
Poor Posture Problems: Most people hunch forward when they type. This makes your shoulders roll forward and creates tension in your neck and shoulder muscles. Think of it like carrying a heavy backpack all day – your muscles get tired and sore.
Reaching for the Keyboard: If your keyboard is too far away, you have to reach forward to type. This stretches your shoulder muscles in an uncomfortable way. It’s like trying to reach something on a high shelf for hours at a time.
Staying in One Position: When you type for a long time without moving, your shoulder muscles get stiff. Just like your legs feel cramped after sitting in a car for hours, your shoulders feel the same way when they don’t move.
Using a Mouse: Don’t forget about your mouse! Reaching for your mouse over and over again can strain your shoulder, especially if it’s placed too far from your keyboard.
What Causes Shoulder Pain from Computer Work
As someone who has worked with countless people experiencing work-related shoulder pain, I’ve noticed it’s becoming increasingly common, especially among the many individuals working from home. This trend is due to the increasing number of professionals who spend their days based at desks, using computers repeatedly throughout their working day. What surprises most people is how their daily computer use can trigger a repetitive strain injury (RSI) that becomes associated with occupations involving extended screen time.
The primary cause of this discomfort is often “mouse shoulder”—a condition that results from keeping your arm extended for long hours while using a mouse at your desk. Here’s the chain reaction: in order to move a mouse effectively, your wrist, hand, and fingers must perform countless small, focused movements throughout the day. These may lead to fatigue in smaller muscles. Therefore, your body starts causing bigger muscles in the shoulder region to compensate, which in turn begins creating unwanted tension. This prolonged strain can change the posture of your shoulder girdle, leading to pain that spreads through your shoulders, neck, and upper back.
Key symptoms of this condition include:
- Sharp pain in one shoulder (typically the shoulder that uses the mouse)
- Persistent tightness and pain spreading through the neck, upper back, and around your shoulder blades
- Noticeably reduced movement in both neck and shoulder areas
- Frequent headaches that seem to come from nowhere
- A dull ache or burning sensation deep in the shoulder
- Numbness or tingling traveling down your arm into your fingers
5 Proven Methods to Prevent Shoulder and Back Discomfort While Working
Typing all day changed my life in ways I never expected – and not in good ways. It really can hurt your shoulder and create serious back pain that follows you home. After spending long hours working at a desk, I realized this wasn’t just my problem – millions of office workers face the same daily struggle.
The stress your body experiences from repetitive computer work builds up over time. Through trial and error, I’ve found 5 tips that genuinely help. These general tips aren’t magic fixes, but they do help you relax your shoulder and transform your work routine into something more sustainable.
Transform Your Workspace for Maximum Comfort
Understanding correct ergonomics became my important key to lessening the daily battle with discomfort. Rearrange your workspace thinking about how your body naturally wants to move and rest.
Practicing best desk ergonomics starts with arranging your workstation thoughtfully. Here’s what made the biggest difference for me:
- Adjust your chair so your knees align level with your hips – this single change is among the most important facets of workspace comfort
- Strive to keep your pelvis balanced in a neutral position without tilting
- Keep your wrists straight during typing, positioning your hands at elbow level
- Keep your computer screen at about arm’s length distance from your seating position
- Position the monitor height so the screen’s top edge sits even with your eyes
- Consider investing in a footrest if your feet don’t reach the ground comfortably
- Avoid reaching awkwardly for your mouse by keeping it positioned where your elbows maintain a 90-degree angle
- Make sure your arms rest easily on the desk without any tension or strain
- Place frequently used tools and items close by so you can reach them without effort
- For those who use the phone frequently, consider switching to speaker mode or headphones rather than cradling the phone between your ear and shoulder
Dynamic Movement Throughout Your Workday
Here’s a revelation that changed everything: your best posture is actually your next posture. Static positioning kills comfort. The longer you sit at a desk, the more your posture tends to decline—so it’s important to change your sitting position regularly during the day.
Movement strategies that work:
- Easily refresh your position by sitting differently in your chair, leaning back briefly, then going back to proper seated posture
- Better still, get up and move around whenever possible
- Walk purposefully to the breakroom to fill up your water bottle
- Choose to take important message verbally to your coworker instead of sending yet another quick email
- When you come back to your desk, consciously reset your posture into a refreshed, comfortable, correct position
Master the Fundamentals of Healthy Sitting
Those classic commands – “sit up straight,” “don’t slouch,” “keep your feet on the floor” – those reminders from well-meaning moms and teachers weren’t just nagging. You might hate to admit it, but they were absolutely right.
Training yourself to keep good posture consistently delivers long-lasting benefits and significantly less shoulder pain. What does excellent good posture actually look like at your desk?
Essential posture elements:
- Position your feet solidly on the floor or use a supportive footrest
- Keep your knees positioned level with your hips for optimal alignment
- Your forearms should rest parallel to the ground while keeping shoulders relaxed
- Maintain legs uncrossed to promote healthy circulation
- Ensure your back stays supported by your chair or add back support
- Keep elbows positioned close to your body with supported thighs and hips
The Standing Desk Revolution
Standing desks gained popularity as a good reason – they deliver real results. Standing while working effectively helps take the strain off multiple parts of your body, including chronically tight shoulders.
Working at a standing desk offers remarkable health benefits:
- Successfully avoiding weight gain through increased daily movement
- Losing excess weight becomes more achievable
- After eating, your blood sugar levels return to normal more quickly
If you decide to change to a standing desk, consider these implementation strategies:
- Ease into working upright for manageable 30 to 60 minutes periods at a time
- Transitioning slowly helps your body adapt comfortably to the new position
- Get an adjustable desk enabling you to move between standing and sitting position for various tasks
- Certain work gets completed more easily and efficiently while seated
- Even at a standing desk, maintaining good posture is crucial—poor standing posture just replaces one issue with another.
Strategic Break Implementation
It’s surprisingly easy to get completely absorbed in the work zone and forget to take breaks. Everyone working at computers should recognize we all need them desperately. Taking occasional breaks helps refresh your mind and gives your body a much-needed reset.
Every 30 minutes to an hour, commit to get moving through these activities:
- Practice stretching exercises right at your workstation
- Taking an energizing stroll around the office space
- Visit the restroom as an opportunity to move your legs
- Refill your coffee cup or water bottle
- Do whatever it takes to get those essential moving breaks scheduled into your day
- Set a timer or phone alarm for consistent reminders
- Leave helpful post-it note reminders attached to your computer monitor
Combine these movement intervals with regular exercise outside work hours, dedicated stretching sessions, yoga classes, and exercises specifically designed to strengthen your core muscles. Consider trying a posture trainer device and maintain a healthy diet supported by regular reminders to correct your posture.
These combined strategies create lasting change in how you feel during and after each workday.
6 Desk-Friendly Exercises to Ease Shoulder Pain from Prolonged Sitting
Working at a computer for years has taught me that shoulder pain from extended desk work is a real problem many professionals face. The constant typing and poor posture can create tension that builds up over time. Fortunately, targeted exercises can relieve this discomfort when done correctly.
At the beginning of any movement routine, it’s always recommended to start slowly and listen to your body. If you experience any unusual pain or discomfort, consult your doctor before continuing. Through my experience, I’ve found these movements most effective when performed regularly.
1: Cervical Retraction – Correcting Forward Head Position
This foundational movement targets the root cause of many shoulder issues:
- Sit with spine straight in your work chair
- Pull your head directly back until it feels comfortable
- Return to your beginning position slowly
- Repeat this movement 5 to 10 times consistently
This excellent exercise works to help restore natural neck alignment and improve overall posture. I perform this movement hourly during long work sessions.
2: Upper Back Stretch – Releasing Accumulated Tension
When shoulders feel compressed from sitting, this stretch opens up your upper body:
- Sit firmly in your chair with both feet flat against the floor
- Reach both hands up to cradle the back of your head gently
- Lean back slowly and bring your gaze up toward the ceiling
- Hold this stretch for multiple seconds before releasing
- Repeat the sequence as needed
3: Armpit Stretch – Targeting Hard-to-Reach Areas
This stretch may feel awkward initially, so consider doing it when you’re alone:
- Sit with your spine straight
- Rotate your head until your nose aligns over your armpit
- Hold your head steady with one hand
- Gently push your head closer toward the armpit area
- Hold this position for 10 full seconds
- Repeat multiple times on each side for balance
4: Shoulder Rolls – The Universal Movement
Chances are high you’ve performed this exercise multiple times before. It’s beautifully simple and works at any time:
- Sit upright and tuck your chin slightly inward
- Roll both shoulders forward, upward, back, then downward in smooth circular motion
- Repeat several times in this direction
- Reverse the pattern and roll backward for balance
5: Upper Trap Stretch – Addressing Specific Muscle Groups
This targeted approach focuses on commonly tight areas from computer work:
- Sit with proper spine alignment, keeping yourself straight
- Tilt your head sideways directly toward one shoulder
- Hold this position for 10 complete seconds
- Repeat the same movement on the opposite side
To enhance this stretch further, use your hand to apply gentle additional pressure.
6: Chin Tuck – The Reset Movement
This remarkably simple exercise can be repeated frequently during your workday:
- Sit upright while looking directly forward
- Lower your chin down toward your chest area
- Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds
- Return to your starting position and repeat as needed
Through consistent practice, these movements become second nature. The key lies in making them part of your daily routine rather than waiting for pain to develop.
When to See a Doctor
Sometimes shoulder pain from typing can be serious. You should talk to a doctor if:
- The pain doesn’t go away after a few days of rest
- You may feel tingling or numbness in your hands or arms
- The pain is very sharp or severe
- You can’t move your shoulder normally
- The pain keeps you awake at night
Conclusion
Yes, typing can hurt your shoulders, but it doesn’t have to! With the right setup, good posture, and regular breaks, you can type comfortably for hours. Remember, preventing shoulder pain is much easier than trying to fix it later.
Start paying attention to how you sit and type today. Use our alphabet typing game to practice good habits while improving your typing speed. Your shoulders will feel better, and you’ll become a faster, more efficient typist too.
Take care of your body, and it will take care of you. Happy typing!
Ready to improve your typing speed while protecting your shoulders? Try our a to z alphabet typing game and start building better typing habits today!
