Do you remember the film called "City lights" starring Charlie Chaplin? One of the funniest scenes there is when Charlie's character makes a certain move of screwing some parts in a machine and after doing so for too many hours he can't control himself and does the gesture of screwing repetitively, in an uncontrolable way. Well, this was due to the appearance of the automatic assembly line for cars. The point is when some technology appears and people use it too much, some unpleasant things can happen and some illnesses connected to that technology can appear, too. The so-called professional diseases. Well, together with the inventing of the computer and its use all over the world, people started developing illnesses related to it. Some of these illnesses start with some particular symptoms that trigger the warning  for what is about to come.

One of the most common symptoms that announce an approaching illness is what computer user describe like this: "My fingers go numb when I am using a computer mouse". Doctors and specialists say this happens because a deficitary blood circulation in your hand that is used to operate the computer mouse, as the other one usually does not share the same problems. This is due tot he fact that during a proloned use of the computer mouse you place your hand palm down, with the wrist resting on the desk. This position is very uncomfortable because the weight of your hand puts pressure on the nerves, tendons and blood vessels that can be found in the wrist. If the pressure continues for a long time first the blood has a poorer circulation in the hand and usually the last two or three fingers go numb. Then, if the situation persists, there will be a pain in the tendons and wrist and finally the carpal tunnel syndrome, which is quite unpleasant and it takes a long time to heal. That is why it is better to react when we notice the first signs of illness and not allow it to develop into a more serious problem.


Of course, the best and quickest solution would be to stop using a computer mouse. However, this is almost never an option, as people who use the computer for a long time usually have a job that implies working on the computer, so if they stop using it that means they lose their job, which is usually a really good job, also well-paid. So they try to find some other solutions to their problem. Another medical solution is to get up from the chair in front of the computer every two hours and stretch your hands a few times and also make some rotational moves with your hands and wrists. If the problems persists, may it is time for more drastic measures.

Apparently "fingers go numb when using a computer mouse" is one of the reasons why ergonomic computer devices appeared in the first place. But what exactly are these ergonomic things and what do they do? Well, all the ergonomic devices are concerned about offering a comfortable and neutral position of the part of the body they were designed for. For example the ergonomic mouse and mouse pad try to offer a better hand positioning than a regular mouse in order to avoid the pressure on your wrist that causes all this trouble. The most advanced models of ergonomic computer mouse look like space ships, but are in a vertical position , very different from the horizontal position of the other mice. If you use an Evoluent or Vertical mouse you will see that the hand rests comfortably on one side, in a neutral position, the so-called "hand-shake position". Because the hand has this particular position, the blood vessels and tendons are not pressured any more, so problem solved. The ergonomic mouse pads that I recommend in these cases are very soft and have a gel wrist rest that you can adjust according to your desire. The gel or foam shapes on your hand and allows the wrist to rest gently, without pressure.



I admit, the ergonomic computer mouse and mouse pad are more expensive than regular ones, but it is worth it if you see improvements in your health. If you suffer from any kind of computer -related illness or injury (carpal tunnel syndrome, Repetitive strain injury, De Quervain's disease) and see that after a period of two weeks of using these ergonomic products the pain has gone and the wrist has improved tonus, you will never get back to your old regular computer mouse.

Another solution of improving your health and make the sensation of numb fingers disappear is the purchase of heated computer peripherals: heated computer mouse, heated mouse pad and heated computer mouse blanket. All these devices are heated by infrared light due to their plug in the USB port of your computer. The heated computer mouse is covered with a special carbone fibre layer that allows it to get warm and not melt or be distroyed in some other way. They connect very easily to your USB port and start working immediately, not requiring extra software. This is a cheap source of energy used to heat your cold computer mouse hand and fingers. besides, studies have proved that if you use regularly 30 minutes of infrared treatment, it will make your pain go away and relax the muscles and the tendons as they go deep under your skin and have beneficial effects.



The cord that connects these devices to the USB port usually has a switch, allowing you to turn on/off the respective device when you stop using it.

It is energy saver and very comfortable, not to mention the therapeutic effects and the comfort offered (in the cold winter nights). I love these gadgets and I would gladly use them, even if I don't have any of the above-mentioned illnesses. But I used to have numb fingers from time to time and I got scared , as I did not know what was happening. I confess that I purchased a wrist rest that really rests my wrist and at the same time lifts it a little bit from the level of the desk, allowing my hand to relax and avoiding any kind of discomfort caused by the mouse or mouse pad.