Pretend you have no Thumbs

Just an FYI: my next video on youtube is now downloaded for all you gardeners out there:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I89-SG0KI9E&t=416s

So today my coworker, Lori, came in at the end of the day to say that her thumbs have been bothering her today because, since she has been home more due to the Covid 19 issue, she is finding that she is using her phone more, especially text messaging and turning her phone on and off with her thumb..... UGH.... My statement to her was... "Lori, haven't you learned anything from me..... never text message with your thumbs". and her reply was "I know but it is such a bad habit, I keep forgetting".

Our thumbs were not meant to be used in such a repetitive fashion for long periods of time. There needs to be a user manual for all electronic devices that puts out a warning label....."do not use your thumbs to control this device...... repetitive motion and overuse can cause strain and wear and tear to the muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints of your thumb!" I have seen individuals as young 12 years old, that have developed muscle and ligament strain and even trigger thumbs, because of text messaging with their thumbs. They also can develop tendonitis of the thumb and wrist because of the awkward positioning the wrist is put into when holding the phone and text messaging at the same time with the thumbs. The thumb is a VERY important digit of our hand, but unfortunately it is over used or used incorrectly during all daily activities. This is one of the main reason there are so many different injuries and disorders of the thumb over time, including arthritis at the base of the thumb.

So the key to thumb use is...."RESPECT IT". Pretend you don't have thumbs when using devices like phones , but also position your hands like I explain in my videos, where your last 3 fingers are the power of the grip, and position the hand palm neutral or up, so that your thumb is not the primary force of the grasp of an object. Our thumbs are meant for fine motor activities, not heavy force or over repetitious activities. There is a device that I have on my phone and I have seen many people have it on theirs, called a POPSOCKET or there is also one that is a RING..... both of these help you position your devices with no thumb use and you need to use the other hand's index finger for your texting. I usually recommend the texting hand to have relaxed other fingers in a light fist, while the index finger is extended for the typing. It may seem slower to type this way, but only at first. The speed will come with practice. Here are a few pictures