Pain when using your phone?

You may have "Texter's Thumb"

With our ever increasing reliance on our phones and other electronic devices, we are seeing an increasing number of people with overuse conditions affecting their thumb or wrist.   This has been termed “Texter’s Thumb”  which is actually a collective name for a number of conditions which can occur with prolonged use of phones.

One of the most common conditions we are seeing is inflammation (tenosynovitis) of the tendon responsible for bending the tip of the thumb (FPL tendon) which results in pain along the region indicated by the blue arrow.

The position of your wrist whilst holding your phone can also lead to problems with your wrist tendons.   If your wrist is tilted towards the little finger, this stretches the tendons on the thumb side, which can contribute to inflamed tendons and tendon sheath at the wrist, a condition known as  De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, causing pain as indicated by the green arrow.  Holding your phone with your wrist bent for long periods can also lead to tendonitis of one of the wrist bending tendons,  Flexor Carpi Ulnaris  (FCU), indicated by the red arrow .

Of course, if you have developed one of these conditions, you may not only have pain when using your phone.   As these tendons are used constantly in daily life, you are likely to experience pain with many other activities, such as turning taps, unscrewing jars,  lifting saucepans etc.

If you text with the side of your thumb,  it is also possible to develop an imbalance between the muscle which pulls the thumb in towards the palm (the Adductor Pollicis) which becomes over developed and the muscle which rotates the thumb (Opponens Pollicis) can become weak.

How to reduce thumb and wrist problems from mobile phone use

If your phone use is causing pain or discomfort,  try to ensure that your wrist is straight when holding your phone.  You may like to try a pop socket,  which allows you to hold your wrist straight.  You could also consider using voice to text for a while.

If your symptoms persist the hand therapists at Bayside Hand Therapy will help to diagnose the cause of the pain and customise a treatment plan to help you recover.  Treatment may include a custom-made splint to rest the over-used tendons,  electrical treatment modalities to reduce pain and inflammation,  strengthening exercises and advice on how to prevent further aggravation of the condition.

Custom made splint to rest the flexor tendon of the thumb

As with any overuse conditions,  it is important to seek treatment early,  as the more chronic the condition, the harder it is to resolve. 

Supporting You at Every Step

We’re here to help.  To learn more, get in touch with our friendly team to book a consultation or ask a question.