Considering all that we use mobile devices it’s no surprise that many people develop pain that is directly related to significant amounts of use of said devices. We don’t often think of injuries being related to activities that aren’t strenuous or traumatic. The truth is that there are many injuries that are actually cumulative in nature. For example when a muscle contraction lasts a long time blood flow is reduced and substances produced by the muscle contraction accumulate irritating the muscles & causing pain. Holding prolonged positions without moving can lead to early wear and tear of tissues, repetitive movement or application of force to a muscle or tendon can lead to increased friction leading to inflammation and pain.
A few habits that can lead to these injuries include:
- prolonged slouching sustained position of head looking down
- repetitive use of a finger/thumb for swiping to name a few
A few recommendations that can save you pain and a visit to your doctor include:
- Alternate fingers used
- Limit duration of device use, use both thumbs
- Avoid sitting with the head bent forward and avoid texting with high velocity.
It is actually not difficult to avoid cumulative trauma injuries if you remember to alternate postures, alternate tasks and stretch to reduce the accumulation tissue stress.