5 Ways to Reduce Finger and Hand Pain From Phone Use

That daily deluge of texts isn’t just damaging your calm. Constant tapping, typing and swiping could also be damaging your hands. Maybe you already feel it: pain in your hand or wrist from too much phone use — informally known as “text claw.”

Here’s why, and what to do.

The human hand wasn’t designed for smartphones.

When you text and swipe, especially when you do it relentlessly, you’re putting unnatural pressure on your fingers and wrists. Same goes for the simple act of clutching a phone for hours on end.

These repetitive actions cause microtrauma in your muscles and tendons.

“Constant texting and smartphone use can cause tendinitis” — aka, inflammation — “of the thumb and fingers,” says orthopedic surgeon and hand expert Henry Backe, MD, who practices at St. Vincent’s Medical Center.

From finger pain to hand cramps, text claw tends to come on gradually. Read more