Understanding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the Digital Age
Almost every American adult (91%, according to the Pew Research Center), owns a smartphone, and many, if not most, people spend time each day using it. Whether it’s getting work done, staying in touch with family and friends, or unwinding after a long day, smartphones have become an integral part of modern life for many. But is all this smartphone use hard on our hands? Can it cause carpal tunnel syndrome?
“Ultimately, a lot of things can cause carpal tunnel. Repetitive activities with prolonged wrist flexion, like using our smartphones, are very common ways to speed up the process,” said Summit Orthopedics hand surgeon Lauren Smith, M.D.
Orthopedic specialists have long sounded the alarm about the effect of long-term repetitive motion on carpal tunnel syndrome rates, but more recently, typing, texting, and smartphone use have emerged as additional sources of this repetitive motion risk. A 2021 study found that using a smartphone four hours or more a day increased a person’s risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
Even if a patient’s hand and wrist symptoms aren’t caused by carpal tunnel syndrome specifically, there are a variety of repetitive motion-related injuries that typing and smartphone use can worsen. One example is “texting thumb,” which results from overuse of the thumb’s flexor tendon when a person spends too much time texting or scrolling on a phone.
What is carpal tunnel syndrome?
Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when the median nerve, which runs through the wrist, gets pinched by inflamed or irritated tendons in the carpal tunnel space. Symptoms of carpal tunnel include numbness and tingling in the thumb, index, and middle fingers of the hand. Symptoms usually get worse at night and can be brought on by daily activities like holding a newspaper or gripping a car’s steering wheel.
There are a variety of treatment options for carpal tunnel syndrome. They include conservative measures like anti-inflammatory medicines, bracing, and rest. Occupational therapy and cortisone injections to reduce inflammation can be helpful as well. In severe cases, a hand and wrist surgeon can perform a carpal tunnel release, which opens up the space inside the carpal tunnel, so the median nerve has more room.
How can I prevent carpal tunnel syndrome (or another hand or wrist problem) from typing and texting?
If you’re using a smartphone a lot — and who isn’t? — there are a few simple ways to reduce your chance of developing carpal tunnel syndrome or other problems:
1. Take frequent breaks — Take a break from your phone every 30 minutes to reduce strain.
2. Stretch — During each break, and throughout the day, take a couple of minutes to stretch your hands, fingers, and wrists.
3. Use a brace or splint at nighttime — A brace or splint keeps your wrists in a neutral position, which can decrease the pressure in the carpal tunnel and improve both night and daytime symptoms.
4. If you start to develop symptoms, see a specialist — At Summit, we have specialized hand therapists who work alongside our hand and wrist physicians and surgeons. This combined approach enables great results.
“Unfortunately (or fortunately), our smartphones are here to stay,” said Dr. Smith. “The best way to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome is to take frequent technology breaks and intervene early. The last thing you want is to cause permanent nerve damage. Coming from someone who does the surgery and who has had the surgery done myself, it really is nice to finally sleep through the night without numb and tingly fingers!”