This Hurting Thumb! Can It Go Away?

More than half of the population in the world owns a smart device. There’s a 90% chance you might even be reading this article on your mobile phone right now.

Due to this growing smartphones trend, doctors fear seeing more and more cases of thumb joint swelling and pain in people who use smartphones excessively.

If you are an obsessive smart phone user or are a texter your thumb sometimes hurt while using mobile too, right? It is called “the texting thumb”. Keep scrolling to know more about this condition.

What Is A Texting Thumb And How Can I Know If I Suffer From The Same Condition?

While using mobile phones, we tend to make repetitive movements using our thumb experiences a wide range of motion that puts it through a lot of stress. It is important to understand our thumb is not designed to function like this. Repetitive use of thumb leads to a condition called texting thumb which is a simpler explanation of a condition that refers to either trigger thumb or de Quervain’s tenosynovitis.

What Is De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis?

This might sound scary, isn’t it? But what makes it scarier is the negligence people show towards it. Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is a condition in which the tendons at the base of our thumb starts to swell and ends up being unbearably painful. This condition gets more disturbing when trying making a fist, turn our wrists, or try to hold something with a grip.‌

As for now, no one exactly knows the actual cause of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis but all we know is that the following people might be at a serious risk

• Most likely, females.
• People between the age of 30 – 50
• Women who’re pregnant
• Women who lift thier babies with the support of their thumb

How To Identify The Symptoms?

The symptoms one can experience in this condition as mentioned below.

• Excessive pain and swollen joint at the base of our thumb
• A feeling of “sticking” while moving the thumb
• Difficulty in moving your thumb and wrist in a specific angle

Diagnosis
If experiencing the above mentioned issues, it is recommended to see a doctor as soon as you can because the syptoms can worsen with time.

Expect the doctor to ask you to make a fist with the fingers closed over the thumb, and then bending the fist at the angle of the little finger. ‌If this practice triggers the pain on the thumb side of the wrist, it confirms you are suffering from de Quervain’s tenosynovitis.

It There Any Way It Can Be Treated?

If a person is suffering from the trigger thumb or de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, doctors will firstly focus on reducing the inflammation and pain.‌

Rest is the most important treatment. If you decide to keep using your thumb, the inflammation will not subside and eventually, it will start affecting your daily activities.

To treat it, there are a few methods you can follow.

• Icing the affected area for 15 minutes every 4 to 6 hours.‌
• Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines
• If the treatments mentioned above do not work for you, doctors might recommend a steroid injection to be injected at the base of the affected finger or thumb.

If the injections stop working to improve the symptoms, you might need a surgery to get rid of this condition.

Can I Avoid Getting Texting Thumb?

Following are some easy hacks you can try to avoid getting a texting thumb.

• Try to incorporate forearms to improve your posture while using mobile.
• Avoid using your thumb all the time. Try to change the way you use it by holding it in one of your hand and using it with the index finger of the other hand to text and scroll.
• Instead of typing too many texts, why not record a voice message?
• Avoid texting too quickly.
• Set up a screen time for yourself.
• Rest your hands frequently.

Stretching Exercises To Ease The Texting Thumb

Texting thumb can be tackled with some exercises if you do not want to go for a medical treatment. The stretching exercises will help keep the hands flexible.

Here are a few one should try.

Exercise 1

• Take an elastic band and place it around the fingers and thumb.
• Gradually, try and stretch the band with your thumb, away from the fingers.
• Repeat this movement for at least 10 times.

Exercise 2

• Place your hand straight and firm on a table.
• Try to move the thumb towards the side, away from the fingers as far as you can.
• Gradually move it back towards your fingers.
• Do it for 5 to 10 times.

Texter’s thumb is a little hard to notice as many of us cannot notice or think if it’s something worth noticing or not. It gets seriously disturbing with the passing time. Don’t overlook your health as it is your most important asses and should be taken seriously.

Stay fit and healthy. Contact PlanCare at +923041111949 if you or anyone around you needs home healthcare services!