How to Prevent Hand Pain from Using a Smartphone

We use our cell phones for just about everything – texting, writing emails, playing games, surfing the internet and more. With such heavy usage can come hand pain or hand fatigue from overuse.

If you’ve been experiencing pain in your fingers or thumb and you haven’t been able to pinpoint the cause, your cell phone could be the culprit. But that doesn’t mean abandoning your trusty sidekick! Instead, explore ways to prevent hand pain from too much use.

1. Use voice-to-text features.

Even if you’re a master text messenger and can type out a message in a matter of seconds, too much texting could cause hand or finger pain. This is more likely to occur if you text friends and family frequently throughout the day.

To reduce or prevent hand pain, take advantage of your phone’s voice-to-text feature. This way, you can speak your text messages and give your hands a rest. Some voice-to-text features aren’t 100 percent accurate, so don’t forget to proofread. Speaking slowly and enunciating your words can improve the accuracy of your messages.

2. Use a stylus.

A stylus might seem a bit old-fashioned, and in all likelihood, this tool didn’t come with your cell phone. However, using a stylus is another way to give your hands a break without scaling back on phone usage.

Styluses look like small pens and are relatively inexpensive. You can find one for under a couple of bucks at many retail stores in their office or electronics section. After using this device for a while, you might discover that it’s easier and faster to type out text messages and emails.

3. Rest your phone on a table while texting.

Whether you’re sending an email, typing a text message or entering information in a search bar, you can also prevent hand pain by laying your phone on a flat surface before typing your message. This little trick also gives your hand a rest because you don’t have to hold the phone and type at the same time.

4. Switch hands.

Not everyone is ambidextrous, so you might not be able to use your right and left hand. But if you’re constantly on your phone and you’re experiencing hand fatigue or hand pain, it might be worth learning how to operate your cell phone using your less dominant hand. If you’re right-handed and you begin using your left hand, you could eventually learn how to text or email just as quickly and accurately. The more you practice, the better you’ll become. Once you’re a master at using both hands, switch between the two hands throughout the day to reduce hand strain and prevent hand fatigue.

5. Take a break from your phone.

If you’re experiencing hand tiredness or hand pain from a cell phone, you’re probably using the phone too much. Some people rely heavily on their phones for work and communication with family. But you shouldn’t use your cell phone at the expense of your health. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking a break and unplugging from time to time. You’ll not only give your hands a break, putting some separation between you and your phone can be a nice mental break.

 

Cell phones are convenient, flexible, and sometimes necessary, but too much use can trigger hand pain. Be sensible and know when to put the phone down. If you can’t break free from heavy usage, take preventative measures by alternating between your dominate and less dominant hand, and using built-in features like voice-to-text.