Hand Health in a Tapping, Swiping, and Scrolling World

Hey everyone!

Let’s talk about something super important that we don’t always think about: hand health. With how much we use our phones for texting, gaming, and scrolling through social media, it’s easy to forget that all this activity can actually be harmful and lead to injuries like texting thumb and carpal tunnel syndrome. These issues might just sound like minor annoyances, but they actually have a lot to do with the biology of our hands.

Part 1: Understanding the Biology Behind Hand Injuries

Our hands are very complex structures, made up of 27 bones, 34 muscles, and over 100 ligaments and tendons. When we use our thumbs repeatedly to type or swipe, especially in awkward positions, we put stress on the tendons that connect our muscles to our bones. Repetitive strain on the thumb tendons can lead to inflammation, a condition commonly known as tendonitis or even De Quervain's tenosynovitis, causing pain and swelling. Given how much we use our thumbs for more important tasks than scrolling, like grasping objects, it's extremely important to make sure they stay in good shape. Fortunately, though, there are ways to prevent lasting damage while still staying connected to the digital world.

Part 2: Easy Habits to Keep Your Hands Happy and Healthy

The Cleveland Clinic suggests these hand stretches for online gamers, but they’re good for anyone who finds themselves constantly typing and working at the computer. 

1. Take Breaks and Stretch: It’s super important to give your hands a break to prevent strain on the tendons and muscles. The way I think about it, typing is kind of like a workout for your hands. I know that if I were in my hands spot, I'd definitely need to take a minute to breathe and relax if I was typing away nonstop at an essay or a report. Take a break every 15-20 minutes to rest and stretch. Stretching helps to increase blood flow to the muscles and tendons, reducing the buildup of lactic acid that can cause soreness. For a good stretch, extend your arm with your palm facing up and gently pull back on your thumb with the other hand. This action stretches the flexor tendons in your thumb and wrist, reducing tension and the risk of inflammation.

2. Switch Up Your Grip and Typing Style: Typing with just your thumbs can overwork the tendons in the base of your thumb, where the muscles are smaller and more prone to fatigue. The tendons here are covered by a sheath that can become irritated with overuse, leading to pain and swelling—a hallmark of texting thumb. Harvard Health suggests alternating between using your thumbs and fingers or switching to voice-to-text features. By using different fingers or a stylus, you can distribute the strain more evenly across your hand, which helps prevent any single tendon from becoming overworked and inflamed. Sure, it might feel awkward to switch at first and you might find that you type slower that way, but taking a few seconds longer to send a text is a small price to pay for keeping your hands in good shape.

3. Optimize Your Device Settings: Making small changes to your device’s accessibility settings can also help reduce strain on your hands. Increasing the font size can reduce the need for excessive swiping and tapping, which puts less stress on the flexor tendons of the fingers and thumb. Enabling features like predictive text can minimize repetitive motions, which can cause microtears in the tendons, leading to cumulative trauma disorders if not managed properly.

Part 3: Long-Term Strategies for Healthy Hands

Preventing hand injuries, like texting thumb, is about adopting good habits that promote tendon and muscle health over the long term. By getting into these habits and integrating them into your everyday routine, you can keep your hands feeling useful and productive.

• Stay Physically Active: Engaging in exercises that strengthen the muscles and improve flexibility can reduce the risk of tendon injuries. Stronger muscles can better support the tendons, reducing the strain placed on them during repetitive activities. Activities like yoga help to stretch and strengthen hand and wrist muscles, promoting tendon resilience. You could also try exercises specifically aimed at strengthening your hands, like those suggested by the Colorado Center of Orthopedic Excellence here. Regular exercise is key to maintaining musculoskeletal hand health and preventing stress and strain injuries.

• Use Ergonomic Accessories: Using phone accessories like grips or stands can reduce the amount of force needed to hold your phone, which in turn reduces the load on the tendons and ligaments in your hands. This is crucial because less force means less wear and tear on the delicate tissues in your hand, preventing injuries over time.

• Recognize the Signs and Act Early: It’s important to understand the early signs of tendonitis, such as pain, tingling, or numbness in your thumb or wrist. These symptoms occur because inflamed tendons can compress nerves or lead to restricted blood flow in the area, causing discomfort. If you notice these signs, take immediate steps to reduce strain and give your hands a rest. Persistent symptoms can lead to more severe conditions like De Quervain's tenosynovitis. To avoid long-term damage, consult a healthcare professional if you have symptoms that persist.

As a pianist, I try to pay careful attention to my hand health and strength, which is why this topic fascinates me so much. Taking care of our hands is essential, especially when technology plays such a significant role in our lives. Hopefully, by understanding the biology behind hand injuries and knowing how to keep your hands healthy, you'll be ready for all the things we love to do every day. Whether it's playing an instrument, texting a friend, or just jotting some notes down for class, try keep in mind just how important your hands are.

Be well!