Is There a Link Between Hand Pain and Smartphone Use?

Many of us have heard about repetitive use injuries in sports or even from typing at a computer for hours on end. But few people realize that hand pain may develop from excessive smartphone use.

Whether you’re texting your partner, ordering food, or scrolling through your friend’s Instagram feed, you’re using your hands, fingers, and thumbs to scroll, tap, swipe, pinch, and type on your phone—typically multiple times a day or, sometimes, almost all day.

All this repetitive motion isn’t healthy for your hands. Many people are reporting stiffness, pain, and muscle strain in their hands—or a worsening of existing conditions, such as thumb arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome—resulting from excessive phone use.

“Any type of hand pain, numbness, or tingling that occurs in a repetitive or predictable way may be a cause for concern,” says Ariel Williams, MD, a Yale Medicine hand surgeon. “If you're having pain while using your phone on a recurring basis, you should ask your primary care provider about potentially consulting a hand specialist. They can help evaluate how you’re using your phone and if that’s causing these issues.”

As with most medical conditions, Dr. Williams says it’s better to address this sooner rather than later, because it can be easier to treat a problem when symptoms are mild.

In the U.S., approximately nine out of 10 cell phone users own a smartphone—a mobile device with a touchscreen and an internet connection that can be used to perform many computer-like functions. What’s more, according to research, excessive cell phone use has been linked to injuries related to overuse, including wrist and finger pain.

Dr. Williams has treated patients who started to experience hand pain after becoming immersed in playing video games like Candy Crush or Solitaire on their phones. “It's not surprising; doing any repetitive activity excessively is going to cause problems,” she says, adding that patients often experience hand pain from prolonged activities like gaming on smartphones, similar to the motions used with other devices like gaming consoles.

Here are four things you need to know about smart phone use and your hand health.

Excessive smartphone use may cause pain in part of one or both thumbs (depending on how you are using the phone). Another potential problem is a condition called trigger thumb, which is similar to a trigger finger (but involving the thumb), an inflammation of the tendon used to bend the digit while texting or playing a game on the phone. This can cause pain, stiffness, and a “clicking” when bending or straightening the thumb; it can even cause the thumb to lock in a bent or straight position.

And while it’s not yet clear if excessive phone use itself can be the cause of such a condition, Dr. Williams says it could aggravate existing ones, including:

• Thumb arthritis: Spending extended periods on the phone can aggravate arthritis in different parts of the thumb, leading to swelling and tenderness, a loss of strength, and pain that can linger for hours after using the hand.
• Wrist and finger pain: Holding a smartphone can worsen pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the hand caused by carpal and cubital tunnel syndromes. Carpal tunnel syndrome involves the compression of the median nerve, which runs from the forearm to the wrist. It causes symptoms in the thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers. Cubital tunnel syndrome affects the ulnar nerve, which goes from the elbow to the hand; it affects the pinky and ring finger.

Because the bones in your hand are small compared to those in, say, your arm or leg, factors such as size, anatomy, and gender could raise your risk for a hand injury, Dr. Williams notes.

“People with smaller hands may be more at risk for injury because they have to reach farther across the screen, which may tax the joints more,” Dr. Williams says. “People who are ‘hypermobile,’ meaning they are flexible and have loose ligaments, may have an elevated risk as well, because ligaments hold the joints in position, and a joint that is repetitively shifting around can become strained.”

Hypermobility is more common in women, and it’s a reason why they have a greater chance of developing thumb arthritis compared to men—the laxity in the ligaments around the thumb means less stability for the joint, causing it to move more, and that means more wear and tear and accelerated joint degeneration. Smartphone overuse can exacerbate this, Dr. Williams says.

Here are ways to use a smartphone that can protect not only your hands, fingers, thumbs, and wrists but also your neck, shoulders, and other parts of your body:

• Modify your grip: Use a light grip and keep your wrist straight (not flexed) or with a slight bend in it. Frequent breaks and changing positions can also be beneficial, Dr. Williams advises.
• Consider a gripping aid: Devices that stabilize your grip can help reduce hand strain. “Some of these aids attach to the phone and have a raised disk to position between your fingers as a way to stabilize your hold, so you can relax your grip and reduce strain on the hand,” says Dr. Williams.
• Use hands-free devices: Consider using headphones or voice-to-text applications to minimize the amount of time you are holding your phone. “This technology is so good now, as phones have become better at following our voices,” Dr. Williams says. “So instead of going to your weather app, you can ask a voice recognition tool, such as Siri, to give you a weather report.”
• Try alternative texting methods: Some people with chronic or recurring hand pain may need to change their texting behavior significantly. But in many cases, small ergonomic adjustments can have a surprising impact, Dr. Williams says. “Text with your finger,” she adds, explaining that even the hunt-and-peck method is less likely to cause strain than using thumbs. “Or alternate between your hands instead of just using one hand all the time.” Or employ voice recognition tools. Tablets, with their wider keyboards, are often less problematic than phones, she adds.

If you're already experiencing mild hand pain, it's important to address it early using the following techniques:

• Reduce phone use: “Though it may seem obvious, if you are experiencing mild hand pain that you think may be the result of smartphone use, the first step is to cut back on your phone use,” Dr. Williams says. But if the pain is more severe—and interfering with daily function—it’s probably time to seek medical care.
• Hand therapy: Strengthening specific hand muscles through therapy can help address muscular weakness. “Some people have areas of relative muscular weakness that may be uncovered when they overtax their hands and wrists,” says Dr. Williams, who often sends patients to occupational therapists who specialize in hand conditions. “For those people, hand therapy strengthens those muscles so they're not as susceptible to overuse problems.” Depending on the condition, a hand therapist may recommend stretches to relieve pain and improve function in muscles and tendons in the fingers, wrists, and forearms; they may also offer therapies, such as massage, in addition to discussing ways to use the phone that will avoid further problems.
• Medical interventions: Other approaches—depending on the condition and its severity—include steroid injections for someone who has developed a particular type of tendonitis or has a trigger thumb that has not resolved on its own, Dr. Williams says. For persistent issues, minor surgical procedures may be necessary.

While more research is needed to fully understand the connection between smartphone use and hand pain, recognizing potential risks and implementing preventive measures can make a significant difference. Dr. Williams recommends paying attention to any type of hand pain and seeking medical attention early, when noninvasive therapies can be most helpful.

“There are often things that we can do to resolve the issue, especially when symptoms are mild. That’s why I would encourage people to see a doctor or specialist sooner rather than later,” she says.