Oh My Aching Thumbs!!
Several repetitive stress injuries are showing up in Dubai’s fast-paced, technology-focused era. A condition known as “BlackBerry® thumb has arisen . BlackBerry thumb is the joint and wrist pain and inflammation caused by the overuse of any personal digital assistant (PDA) or Smartphone. Red flags that signal a need to change how we use PDAs, and possibly the need to consult with a qualified health care professional, are occasional aches in any or all of those areas. Left untreated, BlackBerry thumb can develop into severe pain, weakness, numbness, and even disability.
What Causes It?
BlackBerry thumb occurs as the result of asking the thumb joints to repeatedly perform the same action too often. Excessive tapping, flicking, and clicking do our thumbs no favors. X-ray and exam findings can determine if a patient has BlackBerry thumb. Some sports enthusiasts like to “work through pain.” They believe that by pushing the body beyond its current limits, it will gradually become accustomed to new demands placed on it. That approach does not work with joints. And since BlackBerry thumb is a joint problem, forcing thumbs to go above and beyond will only lead to further trouble.
Typical Medical Treatments for it.
Patients will often be asked to rest the thumbs as part of treatment. Medical treatment typically consists of resting or splinting the thumb, anti-inflammatory medicines, Cortisone injections and, as a last resort, surgery.
How may a Chiropractor Help?
Chiropractors are trained to use a variety of non-drug, non-surgical approaches to treat this ailment. Giving your thumbs a chance to start the healing process may include a program of rest, thumb strapping, and gentle stretches or targeted massage. A chiropractor may decide to use soft tissue mobilization to help alleviate the problem and/or manipulation of the neck, wrist, hand, or upper extremity
What Can I Do To Help?
Whatever we might wish them to do, we, doctors, cannot simply make BlackBerry thumb “go away” without the cooperation of the patient. Moderation and flexibility in how we use PDAs are critical elements to recovery and prevention.
When it comes to BlackBerry thumb, the following tips can make our PDAs do what they were designed to do and not to injuret us:
• Avoid typing for more than three minutes without a break.
• Hold the PDA comfortably and close to the body AND DON’T SLOUCH!!!
• Turn the device off on the weekend—or at least on Fridays.
• Decide that you will check emails and text messages just a FEW times a day.
• Cut back on the number of keystrokes and keep messages short and simple.
• Consider using the AutoText feature.
• If a message must be longer, use your computer keyboard, not your PDA.
• Practice using other fingers for typing— especially when thumbs hurt.
• If thumbs are in pain, use a thumb or wrist support If you problem doesn’t improve with these simple steps, please call us for an appointment for a more comprehensive treatment plan.
Dr. Gerry Nastasia, DC, DABCO
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December 29, 2011 at 12:02 am
I don’t use my thumb for texting (I use my pinky) but I believe that holding my Droid X in the palm of my hand is also a major cause since my pain is exactly where I grab the phone with my thumb. I stopped holding it with my left hand and began using my right (only in the last few days) and now my right is beginning to hurt. I am not sure if the radiation mighty also increase the problem, since we live out in the country and the signal is not as strong as in the city.