Being tech savvy can be both boon as well as bane!!

On one hand, we could have an edge over others by being tech savvy. On the other hand, being tech savvy would make us use electronic gadgets or devices much more than others and as a result we could get fewer issues.

It is a fact that these days the electronic gadgets have become part and parcel of our lives and even the kids get exposed to these gadgets.  By using digital technology frequently, one important issue we could get is wrist pain. Truth is that with continuous scrolling on our mobile phones there are more chances of getting wrist pain even in youngsters etc.

Causes of wrist pain:
It was revealed by knee, elbow, joint specialist, Dr. Gautam Tiwari that the wrist consists of 8 small bones called as carpals and these are connected to each other through ligaments. These ligaments would get strained when we do continuous repetitive movements such as scrolling over mobile phones etc resulting in severe pain and huge discomfort etc.

The persistent stress on the wrists could lead to Repetitive Strain injury or RSI or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or CTS. It must be noted that when a person gets RSI then there would be pressure on the meridian nerve passing through the carpal tunnel in the wrist.

Direct connection between wrist pain and mobile usage:
There are many studies that have established a direct connection between mobile usage and wrist pain. By continuous use of smart phones, we could get issues like hand pain, reduced grip strength and discomfort in the thumb etc. It is believed that the frequent flexions and extension of wrists while scrolling were associated with the wrist pain.

Symptoms of wrist pain due to overuse of smartphones:
The symptoms would begin as dull aches in the wrists and then transform into sharp pains during specific movements. There are also possibilities of experiencing tingling or numbness in the fingers like thumb, index finger and middle finger etc revealing the presence of CTS. In some persons, there might be wrist stiffness when they wake up plus other symptoms like reduced grip strength, swelling in wrist portion etc. Identifying these symptoms and consulting an ortho doctor is very much needed. By ignoring these symptoms, we could get chronic conditions later on.

How to prevent or avoid wrist pain:
It is possible to avoid wrist pain by following these compulsorily.
  • By taking regular breaks for 20 to 3 30 minutes from mobile based activities and relax the wrist
  • By holding the mobile phones with both hands just to distribute the stress and to lower wrist flexion etc
  • By doing simple wrist exercises etc such as wrist rotations and stretches etc
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