Introduction
In our fast-paced digital world, where smartphones are ubiquitous, an unforeseen health concern is on the rise—tendonitis or the more correct term tendinopathy. It’s a problem that I’m seeing increasingly in clinic. This condition, characterised by pain and poor tendon health, is increasingly associated with the repetitive movements involved in mobile phone usage. Let’s delve into this problem of tendonitis caused by smartphones and explore practical ways to protect our tendons in this tech-driven era.
Understanding Tendinopathy
Tendinopathy is where tendons become unhealthy due to overuse causing pain and limiting use. It used to be that we thought it was due to inflammation but we now better understand that this is not the case, hense why we no longer call it tendonitis. I’m seeing these problems more frequently due to our new best friend—the smartphone. Prolonged and repetitive activities like tapping, scrolling, and typing can strain the tendons in our fingers, hands, and wrists, leading to discomfort and potential long-term issues.
Commonly Effected Tendons
- Flexor Tendons: These run along the palm side of your fingers, crucial for bending. Continuous tapping and gripping during mobile phone use can strain these tendons, contributing to inflammation. This is commonly known as golfers elbow or medial epicondylitis. Find out more about this problem here.
- Extensor Tendons: Located on the back of your hand and fingers, these enable you to straighten your fingers. Overuse during activities like constant scrolling or swiping may lead to tendonitis. This is commonly known as tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis. Find out more about this problem here.
- Wrist Tendons: Tendons around the wrist, including the extensor carpi radialis and flexor carpi radialis, can also be affected. Awkward wrist positions while holding or using a phone may strain these tendons.
Symptoms of Smartphone-Induced Tendinopathy
- Pain and Tenderness: Discomfort around affected tendons, particularly during or after phone use.
- Swelling: Inflammation causing swelling, leading to discomfort and reduced mobility.
- Stiffness: Reduced flexibility in tendons, resulting in stiffness and difficulty moving the affected joints.
Prevention and Management
- Ergonomic Practices: Maintain a neutral wrist position to minimise tendon stress during phone use.
- Relaxed grip: People often overgrip their phones, this dramatically increases the load through the tendons.
- Regular Breaks: Incorporate breaks to stretch and rest your fingers, reducing the risk of overuse injuries.
- Loading Exercises: Engage in exercises that improve the health and structure of the tendon by gradually introducing it to load. Beware over loading the tendons or loading too early could make the problem worse.
- Gentle stretches: Gently stretching the effected muscle can help to reduce pain but overstretching or stretching too early on could aggravate your symptoms. Have a look at this blog for gentle stretches to help.
- Alternate Tasks: Vary your mobile activities to avoid prolonged periods of the same repetitive movements.
- Use Voice Commands: Leverage voice recognition technology to minimize typing and give your tendons a break.
Seeking Professional Guidance
The problem when treating tendinopathies is that to improve the tendon health and resolve the problem you need to load the tendon. However, if we overload it or load it too early then it can make the problem worse. So guidance from a health care professional with experience in successfully treating these problems is invaluable.
I have designed online programs for both tennis and golfers elbow allowing you to treat this problem quickly and easily at home. Have a look at my tennis elbow program here. Golfers elbow problem here.
Conclusion
As smartphones continue to be integral to our daily lives, it’s crucial to be mindful of their impact on our tendons. By adopting ergonomic practices, taking preventative measures, and seeking professional guidance when needed, we can strike a balance between the convenience of technology and the well-being of our tendons. Stay informed, stay proactive, and keep your smartphone usage in check for a healthier, pain-free digital experience.
Take care, Helen
Helen Manders BSc (Hons) MCSP HCPC
