Computer Mousing, Track Pads, and the Musician’s Hands

A Small Daily requirement for many, with Big Consequences

For many musicians, computer time feels harmless compared to hours spent practicing or performing. Email, notation software, recording edits, social media, booking gigs, and none of it feels physical in the way playing does.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
“Mousing” and track pad use can quietly load the same tissues musicians depend on to play, and often with less variety and recovery than their instrument provides.

When computer use stacks on top of repetitive instrumentalism, problems may add up fast.

Normal Use vs. High Use: Why the Difference Matters

Normal Use

Occasional computer work, short sessions with breaks, generally doesn’t cause trouble by itself.

The body can adapt when:

  • Sessions are brief
  • Positions change
  • The hand gets rest between tasks

High Use

Problems arise when musicians spend hours a day:

  • Editing audio or video
  • Teaching online
  • Managing promotion, booking, and admin work
  • Scrolling and replying on phones and laptops

High-use mousing often means:

  • Static wrist positions
  • Sustained finger flexion
  • Repetitive clicking
  • Minimal shoulder and elbow movement
  • Neck posture locked forward

This creates a low-grade, all-day load that primes the system for injury.

Why Mousing Hits Musicians Harder Than Non-Musicians

Musicians already place precise, repetitive demands on:

  • Fingers and thumbs
  • Wrist flexors and extensors
  • Forearm muscles
  • Shoulder stabilizers
  • Cervical spine and nerve pathways

Add hours of mousing, and you get repetition without recovery time.

It’s not just “more use” – it’s the same tissues being stressed in slightly different ways all day long.

Common Musician Complaints Linked to Heavy Mouse or Track Pad Use

Musicians often notice:

  • Thumb and index finger pain
  • Wrist stiffness or aching
  • Forearm tightness or burning
  • Reduced finger speed or independence
  • Tingling or numbness in the fingers
  • Neck stiffness that worsens hand symptoms
  • Loss of endurance during practice or gigs

These symptoms don’t always show up while mousing.
They often appear later, when you pick up your instrument.

Track Pads vs. Traditional Mice: Not a Free Pass

Track pads are often marketed as “ergonomic,” but they come with tradeoffs:

  • Heavy thumb use
  • Fine motor repetition with minimal movement
  • Sustained finger hovering
  • Less wrist motion, more static load

For many musicians especially string players, pianists, and guitarists – this can overload the same precision muscles required for playing.

Better Options for Musicians

There’s no single perfect setup, but variety matters.

Common alternatives include:

  • Vertical mice to reduce wrist twist
  • Trackballs that distribute motion across the hand
  • Stylus pens for editing or notation
  • Trigger Mouse: the hand held mini track ball.
  • Switching hands periodically for non-critical tasks
  • External keyboards to reduce track pad overuse
  • Voice-to-text for emails and notes

The goal isn’t perfection—it’s reducing repetitive load on any one structure.

Why This Matters Before Post-Holiday Gigging and Touring

The holiday season often brings:

  • More computer time
  • More planning and admin
  • Less recovery
  • Then suddenly… more rehearsals and gigs

If your hands and neck are already irritated from many hours of week after week mousing, your instrument becomes the last straw, not the cause.

Preventive action now should:

  • Preserve endurance
  • Reduce flare-ups on tour
  • Improve consistency under load
  • Keep minor irritation from becoming chronic injury

How a Musician Health Specialist Approaches This

In my Portland, Maine practice, needless to say I don’t tell musicians to “stop using computers.”

Instead, I look at:

  • How computer use layers onto playing demands
  • Wrist, elbow, shoulder, and neck mechanics
  • Nerve mobility and sensory changes
  • Load timing throughout the day
  • Simple, realistic modifications that fit a musician’s life

Care focuses on mechanical and neurological efficiency, not fear or restriction.

Mousing and track pad use may seem insignificant, but for musicians, it’s often the hidden contributor that keeps arm, hand, neck and shoulder problems alive.

Addressing it early is not overreacting.
It’s smart “load management.”

Waiting until after pain shows up on stage or on tour is the expensive way to learn this lesson.

Dr. Lou Jacobs, Chiropractor and acupuncturist in Portland, Maine, has been working with and specializing in the health and performance of musicians of all types, for over 23 years. His work has been highlighted in Guitar Player Magazine, and his client list is extensive, having worked with some of the best horn players in the world today. Dr. Lou is always accepting new patients and offers tele-consulting for musicians outside of Southern Maine. Dr. Lou also works with families and is board certified in chiropractic care for children and  pregnant moms. Dr. Lou may be reached by calling (207) 774-6251 or by messaging his office manager, Sandra Escobar, at Sandra@DrLouJacobs.com.