It's probably your posture. Here's how you should be sitting: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/office-ergonomics/art-20046169

It's also helpful to get up once an hour at least and move.

A PT I knew recommended 3 exercises to do each hour...stand up and turn your head left right left right. Then stick your arms out straight and clasp your hands in front of you and swing them like a baseball bat left, right, left right. Finally march in place lifting your knees left, right, left, right. It takes less than a minute but really eases up the muscle strain, hitting the key areas, neck, shoulders and low back.

Do you use a mouse?

Mouse Shoulder

yes I use a mouse. The pin can start within 10 min of sitting. I had a frozen shoulder for 2 yrs,

DH had a really bad neck spasms... he literally couldn't move his head and was in terrible pain. He was using tylenol, and icing and massage and going to chiropractors etc. and he wasn't improving.

So I got on line and found these stretching exercises. He could hardly do them at all in the beginning, but gradually he improved, the pain lessened and he got his range of motion back. He does them on a regular basis now and hasn't had any problem in years.

These are done sitting straight in a chair, shoulders down, moving just the head and neck. Hold each position for a full minute. Do not use your hands to pull or move your head. Go only as far as your range of motion and comfort allow. As the minute goes by though, you may find your muscles ease a bit and you may be able to move a little further. Do each once on each side:

. look down to the right like you're looking under your arm pit and hold...then do the same on the left side

. turn just your head to the right over your right shoulder and hold...then do the same on the left side

. turn just your head to the right shoulder then raise your chin to look up and hold...then do the same on the left side

You can do these multiple times a day.

There are many videos on line about neck stretches, but I find these where you don't pull and you hold the position for a minute to be most helpful.

Hopefully, they'll help you too.

Another No-No: Don't rest your hands on the keyboard or desk. Your elbows should be level with the keys; might need to raise your chair or lower your desk. (Same posture for playing the piano.)

I've seen breaks every 20 minutes recommended - it's not just about avoiding associated aches, it is about eye strain also.

Like I said, this happens almost immediately wen I get on here.

If it only happens when you get on here you need to think about that because any suggestions will do nothing.

When I was finishing the PT for my neck and shoulder knowing the problem was not resolved and probably never would be the therapist suggested if the pain and accompanying headaches became unbearable to do the head in the armpit. The suggestion was actually place the head as close as I could get under the armpit.

Look at alternative mouse designs. You can get vertical ones. Also check your chair and desk height. Back support height and angle. Distance to keyboard. Where your feet are. Where your wrists are. Google a workstation assessment template and run through it. Plus everything the others have said. Move.

What others have said. I had a bout w/ mouse shoulder...had to just back away from the computer for a few days. Increased the height of my chair, too.

Plus, I had purchased an inversion table to help with SI pain. It helps shoulders, too, because you extend your arms when inverted. Helps to stretch everything out.

The inversion table has really helped w/ SI pain and cut down on trips to the chiropractor...has more than paid for itself in the savings.

Ci-lantro, thanks for the link, and Annie thanks for the exercises. Good info on the linked website, and I'm going to try those exercises. Since I've lost some height due to scoliosis, my computer desk is too tall. I have my chair raised to it's maximum height and it still causes my right shoulder to be lifted up out of it's normal position when using my mouse. Of course I don't have good posture either, but there's nothing I can do to fix that. I've tried putting a thick cushion in my chair, but that made my short legs not reach the floor, so I have to lower my chair. I'm going to try putting the mouse on the keyboard drawer and maybe that will help.