There’s no doubt that typing can cause painful hand problems. However, you can prevent most issues resulting in wrist and hand pain even if you spend hours typing.
Our Cascade Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, P.C., team specializes in helping patients prevent hand problems and providing comprehensive treatments that restore hand function as quickly as possible. Here’s what you need to know about how typing affects your hands.
Repeating the same movement places excessive stress on the tendons and other soft tissues. As a result, small tears develop, and inflammation begins.
If you rest your hand, the tears and inflammation should heal. But if you keep typing, the injuries progressively worsen.
Before long, you have an overuse injury (repetitive stress injury) and damage that doesn’t heal on its own.
Typing can cause the following overuse conditions:
Carpal tunnel syndrome develops when repeated finger movements cause tendon swelling. The swelling develops in tendons inside the carpal tunnel, a small passageway in your wrist.
Several ligaments, tendons, and one nerve use the carpal tunnel to reach your hand. If the tendons become inflamed due to overuse, their swelling pinches the nerve, resulting in:
Like all overuse injuries, the symptoms are mild initially and gradually worsen.
Tendonitis involves inflamed tendons, while tenosynovitis is inflammation in the sheath that covers tendons. While both conditions can affect any of the hand’s tendons, one of the most common conditions, De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, distresses the thumb tendons, causing swelling and pain at the base of your thumb. It may also be difficult to grip or pinch objects.
A fibrous capsule that helps stabilize the joint surrounds each finger joint. Inside the capsule, the synovial membrane covers the joint, lubricating and nourishing the tissues.
Capsulitis and synovitis refer to inflammation and swelling in the respective structures. Repetitive finger movement from typing and texting contributes to both conditions. Thumb capsulitis is one of the most common problems in people who spend a lot of time texting.
Osteoarthritis develops over years of repeating the same joint movements. As a result, the cartilage wears down, exposing the bones and causing pain, inflammation, and stiffness.
Repeated finger and hand movements, including those caused by typing, contribute to osteoarthritis. The more you type, the higher the risk of developing finger osteoarthritis.
You can prevent overuse injuries even if you spend many hours typing. Here’s how:
You lower your risk of hand problems by taking short, regular breaks from typing. During the break, relieve pressure on the nerves and tendons by rolling your hands in circles, stretching your arms and hands, and shaking out your hands.
A neutral position means your arm, wrist, and hand form a straight line. Bending your wrist while typing magnifies the stress on the tissues in the carpal tunnel.
Proper ergonomics ensure your hand and wrist stay in a neutral position. Place your keyboard low enough that your elbow is at a right angle, and you can keep your arm and hand level.
While adjusting your keyboard to prevent hand stress, consider other aspects of ergonomics. For example, your monitor should be at eye level so you don’t bend your head while typing.
The more force you use when typing, the more stress you place on the tendons. In addition to a lighter touch when tapping the keys, pay attention to how tightly you hold items like your phone or pen. A tight grip increases stress on your finger joints and tendons.
Whether typing or other repetitive activities are causing your hand pain, early treatment prevents severe soft tissue problems (like permanent nerve damage). We provide expert care, customizing your treatment using various therapies.
If you need relief from hand pain or stiffness, call Cascade Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, P.C., today or complete the online form to request an appointment.
