The Unseen Dangers of Constant Smartphone Use: How Repeating Movements Can Damage Your Hands
Continuous smartphone use with repetitive movements can lead to pain in the thumb, little finger, and wrist joint. According to Dr. Huynh Hoang Anh from the Department of Rehabilitation at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, positions such as bending the wrist, using the little finger as a support, and gliding with the thumb when using smartphones can cause bone and joint problems in the hands.
The tendons in our thumbs help us bend or straighten our fingers. Repetitive movements like scrolling through social media or typing on a keyboard can cause fatigue and damage to these tendons, resulting in pain and stiffness in our fingers. Pain in our little finger can occur when we use it as a support while holding our phones, leading to numbness, pain, stiffness, and clicking sounds in our finger joints.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is another condition that can develop from prolonged phone use. Holding our phones in a bent position for long periods puts pressure on the median nerve in our wrist. This pressure can result in numbness, tingling, and pain in our thumb, index finger, and middle finger. It can also reduce grip strength and wrist mobility. Elbow pain may occur from bending our elbow at an angle greater than 90 degrees while holding our phones for too long, which increases pressure on the ulnar nerve.
In severe cases of bone and joint damage from prolonged phone use surgical treatment may be necessary. However rest and limiting finger and wrist movement are essential steps towards recovery. Over-the-counter pain medication can also help alleviate discomfort while limiting continuous phone use is key to preventing further damage to your hands and wrists.
To avoid this condition it is recommended to limit continuous phone use by taking breaks every hour or so to stretch your hands and wrists; using both hands instead of relying solely on one hand for extended periods; avoiding texting while wearing a smartwatch; using smaller buttons on your phone instead of larger ones; composing messages sideways instead of holding your phone upright to reduce strain on your hands.
In conclusion using smartphones continuously with repetitive movements can cause significant damage to our hands’ bones and joints leading to severe conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome if left untreated promptly seeking medical attention is crucial for proper treatment options including surgery if necessary but more importantly taking precautions such as limiting screen time avoiding texting while driving or wearing a smartwatch reducing strain on fingers should be considered daily habits for healthier hand usage
