The Hidden Dangers of Excessive Phone Use on Hand Function and Health
- Julian Simpson
- Jun 5
- 3 min read
The Hidden Dangers of Excessive Phone Use on Hand Function and Health
Over the past 10 years, smartphone ownership has grown significantly, now exceeding around half of the world’s population.
A study indicates that 79% of people aged 18–44 spend most of their time on smartphones
The widespread use of smartphones has become a common practice, exposing users to various health concerns. One such example is decreased hand and pinch grip strength, which affects overall hand performance as well
One study shows that 27.2% of university students spend more than 8 hours per day using their smartphones.
Students aged between 18 and 25, revealed that the intensity of wrist pain and impairment rises directly with the extent of mobile phone usage
The two main syndromes associated with excess hand use are carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and De Quervain’s tenosynovitis (DQT)
CTS is the most common peripheral nerve compression disorder, impacting nearly 3.8% of the general population
The compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel compromises the blood-nerve barrier, resulting in edema, inflammation, and fibrosis of the adjacent connective tissues.
Patients typically exhibit numbness and pain in the palmar surfaces of the first, second, third, and radial half of the fourth finger, experience nocturnal pain, and observe a gradual progression of their symptoms
The risk of CTS increases by 1.292 times for each additional hour of daily smartphone use.
A possible explanation may be that sustained smartphone use with awkward wrist positions, leads to excessive strain and elevated pressure within the carpal tunnel, leading to compression, deformation, rotation, and displacement of the median nerve and flexor pollicis longus tendon, resulting in hand musculoskeletal symptoms
Our second syndrome is De Quervains
DQT refers to a condition that impacts the tendons responsible for thumb movement, particularly impacting the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons
A study on students found 52% of students had suffered DQT
What makes the hand condtions worse?
handheld devices that encourage the primary use of the thumb or a single finger for texting or gaming are linked to a higher incidence of musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, users are advised to choose devices designed for typing or operating with all digits
Other preventive measures, such as reducing the overall usage time, tracking usage through apps, frequent short breaks between usage, maintaining correct posture, increasing in-person interactions, and using speech-to-text software might also be effective
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Athar M, Hashmi J, Saleem MM, Azam J, Umar SA, Mahmmoud Fadelallah Eljack M. Impact of excessive phone usage on hand functions and incidence of hand disorders. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2025 Mar 7;87(4):1794-1797. doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000003143. PMID: 40212221; PMCID: PMC11981320.
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