As smartphones and tablets become more common in our lives, more and more people are having neck and thumb pain with using these handheld devices. Prolonged usage of handheld devices can cause repetitive stress in our hands as well as our neck because we are constantly swiping our phones while looking down. Let’s learn these tips together to prevent neck and thumb pain!
1. Keep screens at eye level to decrease head-neck flex
2. Type less and slower with two hands as typing fast activate more forearm extensor muscles
3. Support your forearms (with pillows, arm rests, and desk..) to reduce trapezius muscle activation
4. Take frequent breaks
5. Neutral grip (wrists straight)
6. Alternating thumbs and fingers (type with device on a flat surface)
7. Type less (use abbreviations, shortcuts, predictive text, speech to text)
8. Maintain a neutral spine posture
9. Alternate hands holding the device
10. Use a stylus
These tips might seem insignificant, but they can make a huge difference in your neck and thumb! Don’t wait until it starts hurting!
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