Is Your Smart Phone Hurting Your Body?

Is Your Smart Phone Hurting Your Body?

Do you have hand, wrist or elbow pain that you think may be linked to the overuse of your computer or mobile phone? Then you are probably right and not alone!

Health practitioners are seeing a rise of dysfunctional postures and soft tissue injuries caused by prolonged use of these devices, especially as some of them get bigger and heavier, and there are now many medical research papers exploring these issues.

Common problems associated with mobile devices and laptops:

+ Tennis elbow 

+ Golfer’s elbow

+ Shoulder tendinopathies 

+ Tight upper shoulder muscles

+ Poor posture with rounded shoulders, upper or lower back

+ Forward-positioned head

+ Tension headaches

+ ‘Texting’ thumb (repetitive overuse causing irritation to thumb tendons)

+ Tendinopathies of the forearm muscles

 At Total Physiotherapy we can provide you with appropriate diagnosis and treatment of these injuries.  Treatment may initially involve rest of the injured tissues including taping or splinting, as well as a specific exercise program. However, the therapy is often directed at addressing the cause and we have put together 10 top tips to help reduce the risk of these injuries developing. 

1. Take breaks every 15 -20 minutes, during which you get up to move around and stretch. You could also try using a sit-stand desk for working. 
2. Try to ensure your forearms and elbows are supported, e.g. arm rests on your chair, or if necessary cross one arm over your body and use that to prop your other elbow on.
3. Try to keep the phone or keyboard at eye level rather than looking down at it.
4. Don’t grip the phone too tightly.
5. When typing, tap the keys lightly.
6. Vary which hand you use to text with, and try to use your fingers to type sometimes, to give your thumbs a break.
7. Spend periods of time with your phone put away, e.g. mealtimes and evenings.
8. Charge the phone overnight in a different room to your bedroom, to reduce the temptation to use it just before you go to bed, and as soon as you wake up.
9. Stretch out daily at home, e.g. lying on a longways foam roller, with your arms opened out to the side.
10. See your physiotherapist or remedial massage therapist if you notice problems arising, before they become too severe.

Our experienced Hand Physiotherapist Jane Leathwood provides treatment to areas of the hand and upper limb, If you’d like to book in with us, then click here.

For details of our Hand Physiotherapy services head to this page: https://www.totalphysiomv.com/our-services/hand-physiotherapy/

For all other enquiries please call the clinic on 02 9907 0321