Manual Therapy for Text Claw

Though you may have never heard the term “text claw,” you’ve likely felt some of its symptoms! If you’ve spent enough time scrolling and texting on your cell phone, you’ve probably felt soreness or cramping in your fingers, wrist, or forearms. That’s called “text claw.” 

While text claw may not be an official medical diagnosis, there are ways that our team at Impact Med Sun City can alleviate your pain with manual therapy. Here’s how. 

What is Text Claw? 

Text claw is a term that encompasses the pain that you may experience in your hands and wrists after using them continuously to perform fine motor activities. In addition to text messaging, you may notice that you feel the symptoms of text claw after:

• Peeling vegetables
• Doing needlepoint
• Any fine motor activities  

With around 7-8 billion people in the world, and more than half of them using mobile devices, people are using mobile devices somewhere between 3 to 4 hours a day—and sometimes more! Yes, per day. 

That is a lot of time to do something that requires the same repeated movement of our wrists, hands, and fingers which can lead to inflammation in these delicate areas. 

In some patients, text claw can lead to tendonitis, which is associated with more severe wrist pain, numbness, aching, and even loss of strength. Further, the swelling from tendonitis can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. 

Manual Therapy for Text Claw 

If you have pain caused by over texting, it may be time to put the phone down for a while. Try using the voice app on your voice to “voice text” to convert your speech to text to help reduce the strain on your hands and fingers. 

However, if you are still experiencing pain, manual therapy can be a great modality to reduce discomfort and improve flexibility. 

Manual will stretch the affected areas to promote flexibility, while the addition of heat can help to relax the muscles in your hands and wrists and alleviate the pain you are experiencing. 

How to Prevent Hand Pain from Tech Usage 

The pain and discomfort caused by text claw can signal the beginning of more serious problems, so it makes sense to make adjustments to your technology usage to mitigate the harmful effects that using these devices causes. 

We recommend the following:

• Use the voice option for typing, texting, or taking notes. 
• Alternate typing with your fingers and thumb or use a stylus. 
• Use different fingers when typing and switch hands from time to time. 
• Put the device on a surface or stand—anything to keep you from gripping it in one hand. 
• If you notice text claw symptoms, rest, and ice the area. 

These are all easy suggestions to accomplish, but the best thing that you can do is simply take a break away from your device for a bit. Put your phone or tablet down. Turn it off and just walk away for a bit. The world will keep turning, and it will all be waiting for you the next time you pick up your device. 

The difference? You will feel better physically and mentally by taking a step back from your phone. (And your symptoms of text claw might be alleviated.)

Relieve “Text Claw” with Impact Med 

If you are experiencing wrist or hand pain from the excessive use of your smartphone or tablet, or you may be suffering from text claw, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, or a variety of other common wrists/ hand conditions. 

Don’t wait to get relief. Call our manual therapy at Impact Med Sun City Center for an appointment today! We can relieve the tension that you are feeling and get you back to feeling great!

Say goodbye to text claw and call Impact Med Sun City Center today—813-938-5195!