A few years ago, my best friend texted me and admitted that she was worried about her text messages. Her hands and fingers had been aching throughout the day, and the pain worsened when she used her smartphone. Are our constant texting about parenting and politics to blame?
There hasn't been much research on the effects of smartphone use on the body. We're seeing more patients than ever with pain and joint and soft tissue conditions, such as tendonitis in the fingers, thumbs, wrists, elbows, neck, shoulders and upper backs - and cell phones are likely playing a role. Role.
When we text a friend or browse the Internet on our phones, we often use our muscles and joints in ways that strain them. Looking down at your phone, and bending your wrist to hold it in your hand while scrolling or texting, requires our joints and muscles to do things they weren't evolved to do: hold in the same position for long periods of time, and hold a large weight and move it repeatedly over a short range of motion.
These positions and movements place "excessive forces" on the joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments that are just not accustomed to being in that position for an extended period of time. Over time, these actions can cause inflammation, leading to pain and other problems.
Not all doctors are aware of these risks. When my friend saw her GP about pain in her hands, she had an x-ray and blood tests and was told she didn't have arthritis. When she asked if her smartphone was causing the pain, her doctor said it was unlikely. Then she saw another doctor who ruled out carpal tunnel syndrome, and finally an orthopedic hand specialist, who laughed and said no when asked again if her phone was causing her pain.
Research has linked thumb tenosynovitis (called De Quervain's tenosynovitis) to frequent smartphone use. Phone use may also worsen symptoms in people who already have arthritis. While so-called smartphone pinky fingering isn't a given, using your pinky finger to support the weight of your phone can cause problems over time.
Aches and pains to be aware of
In addition to pain that can be caused by inflammation of ligaments, joints, muscles, tendons, and their sheaths, people can also suffer from acute smartphone injuries. Some patients have sprained their thumbs by holding their phones too hard.
Frequent phone use can also affect our nerves. When we bend our elbows to hold our phones in front of our faces, we compress the ulnar nerve that runs from our neck to our hands. This contraction can cause numbness and weakness in the little and ring fingers, Dr. Schwartz says.
More generally, when any muscles, tendons or ligaments become inflamed from smartphone use, they can swell, pinching the nerves that run through them and causing pain or numbness. Phone use can also exacerbate pre-existing nerve problems. For example, carpal tunnel syndrome. Then there's the stress smartphones can put on our eyes, and the disruption blue light can cause to our sleep cycles.
"Literal neck" is another term you may have heard of. Think about what happens when you bend over to look at your phone: This hunched position puts four to five times more stress on your neck muscles and cervical spine than if you kept your head upright. , over time, this excessive force can weaken the ligaments of the spine and cause pain. A 2017 study found a link between texting and persistent neck, shoulder and upper back pain, although other studies have not found this link.
Some of the younger patients we see also have abnormal curvatures in their cervical spines. This may also be related to frequent smartphone use and may increase the risk of back problems. We think this leads to accelerated disc degeneration, which refers to the degeneration of the intervertebral discs, the small shock absorbers between the spinal discs that help us move comfortably. We are seeing more and more young people, in their 20s, often 30s, with cervical spine problems.
How to reduce stress
What should you do if your phone is causing you pain—or you're worried it will eventually? Although my friend's doctor scoffed at the idea that her phone had anything to do with the pain in her hands, she eventually ditched her big smartphone and bought a smaller one to see if it would help. She also started using a speech-to-text option to take the pressure off her fingers. Her pain quickly dissipated.
If you have smaller hands, it might be a good idea to downsize to a smaller, lighter phone, and a speech-to-text tool can relieve pain by reducing the pressure on your fingers. Cell phone grips and holders are recommended to take the pressure off your fingers and thumbs to hold the phone. It might be helpful to use a mount that holds your phone at eye level so you don't strain your neck trying to look at it.
If you are in severe pain, it is best to see a physical therapist or doctor, such as an orthopedic surgeon or physical medicine specialist, as they can recommend treatments and stretches. “If you catch these things early, they don’t become chronic.
But, of course, if something is making you miserable, the simplest solution is to stop doing it so much. In other words, the best advice is: put down your phone.
