[ECHOES]

I have bursitis again in my right shoulder. My shoulder blade area, right side of the back of my neck (spine?), upper arm, underarm, all hurt. Last night my entire right arm hurt and was tingly. At the grocery store it looked like I was getting zapped by an invisible taser or something. Reaching might go okay, but picking up an item and moving it to the cart was something else, very painful, and I would jump from the pain and nearly drop the item.
Other than that, I've rested it all weekend and have been taking Advil and using cold packs. They really help!

I don't know how I am going to work tomorrow though. It seems that using the computer mouse is what aggravates it. I have to do a LOT of scrolling through spreadsheets all day, every day. I try to alternate the fingers I use to spin the scroll wheel.

Anyway, I'm trying to come up with some way to use the cold pack at work but I don't know how I could keep it on my shoulder blade area.

Any ideas would be so appreciated!

Hi. I have also developed injuries from use of a computer mouse. So, I switched the mouse to the other side of the keyboard and used my other hand. After a day or so, I mastered using the mouse with my non-dominant had. It allowed my injured hand (in your case, shoulder) to rest and to heal. If you haven't tried this already, please do.

[Fresia]

I did the same thing, switching to using the other hand and arm for most things. It did not take long to master using it and has helped tremendously. Also adjusted the seating position at my desk to help with elevation and move the mouse closer so the shoulder is supported (adjusted arm rests too), so as not to strain either helped with other tasks such as writing (better support for dominant/bad arm-shoulder) and making using the mouse are easier as well before switched. If your work station is not ergonomically correct for your seating and desk height, can you ask about getting help with it or evaluated, same with the kind of mouse you use? Also moving things closer and within better reach helped, especially when picking things up so the arm stayed closer to my body helped to prevent the straining. However using the other arm helped the most, giving the other shoulder a needed break. Hope this episode passes soon!

PS I am right handed and my mind could not adapt to using a left handed mouse. Most mice are both handed now but in case you are using a right handed mouse now, it was easier to use a right handed mouse in my left hand, than adapt to a left handed one (in case you do get evaluated and they ask about switching you) You might find this easier as well if right handed. Good luck!!!

[Leed]

I kept getting bursitis every time I turned around, and by doc would give me a steroid shot, and that would work for a month or two, and then i'd get it again. I just couldn't figure out what I was doing to get it flared up again.

And then it HIT me -- I was carrying my purse on my shoulder, with the shoulder strap!!! Can you believe that!!! My stupid purse was causing the bursitis!! Once I stopped using the shoulder strap, the bursitis QUIT altogether!

I couldn't believe how stupid I was. Seems like I would have figured it out sooner than i did. LOL Oh well -- at least I figured it out, right? LOL

God bless & please take care. Hugs, Lee

[unaluna]

I just want to add, when I left mouse, I don't use my index finger. I usd my middle finger - it's very strong from driving! But that way I don't have to reprogram the mouse.

[ECHOES]

Originally Posted by Leed

I kept getting bursitis every time I turned around, and by doc would give me a steroid shot, and that would work for a month or two, and then i'd get it again. I just couldn't figure out what I was doing to get it flared up again.

And then it HIT me -- I was carrying my purse on my shoulder, with the shoulder strap!!! Can you believe that!!! My stupid purse was causing the bursitis!! Once I stopped using the shoulder strap, the bursitis QUIT altogether!

I couldn't believe how stupid I was. Seems like I would have figured it out sooner than i did. LOL Oh well -- at least I figured it out, right? LOL

God bless & please take care. Hugs, Lee

Oh gosh, you weren't stupid - how were you to know, before you knew?

I did get a steroid injection previously, but it costs hundreds and I'm not going to do that this time. Rest is helping. I scroll and need to move the mouse a lot all day, and could never keep up with my left hand. At work anyway, which is where I have the mouse in my hand hours and hours each day. I also am using my middle finger or even my ring finger. What I want to do is to reinvent the mouse and have a button on the side for scrolling that I would control with my thumb: away from me for "up" and toward me for "down".

.. edited to add:

I took my cold pack to work, but how could I use it? I laughingly asked my co-worker if she would stand behind me and hold the cold pack on my shoulder blade for 20 minutes
Last night I was at the pharmacy (CVS) and found a cold pack - one of the newer ones that have pearls/beads inside the pack instead of a solid gel - and it comes with a strap so you can put it on your shoulder or neck and keep it in place! I can't wait to try it!

[Leed]

Hi Echoes -- Oh I sure hope the new cold pack works! But don't use it ALL DAY. That can make things worse!! You've got to let it warm back up a little during the day. So take it off for a while, and let it warm up, and then put it back on. It is said that you should do it for 20 minutes every 2 hours, but I don't know if you could do that at the work place or not, but that is the IDEAL way to use the cold pack. I was "taught" this by my Neurosurgeon. So perhaps you should try to stick as close to this as you can.

Good luck and keep us posted, ok? Hugs, Lee