Have you been told to work from home during this pandemic?

Are you finding your thumb sorer because you spend more time on the phone and computer?

Take a minute and reflect on how much time you spend on your mobile phone and computer for meetings each day, especially during this COVID-19 period? According to research done by RescueTime, on average, most people spend about 3 hours and 15 minutes per day on their phones, while the top 20% uses up to 4.5 hours. In our clinic we are seeing an increase amount of patients coming in for thumb pain - known as De Quervain’s Syndrome/ tendinosis in the past 3 months while most people work from home due to lockdown.

Did you know that holding a phone in one position actually puts a lot of pressure in the thumb/ wrist region. De Quervain's syndrome is often referred to as "mummy's thumb" or "gamer's thumb" as it is seen commonly in mothers when they have to hold their newborn or in gamers who hold the console for a long period of time.

Start now with these 3 things to get rid of De Quervian’s Syndrome and get your thumb back

• See your physio for management of the inflamed tendons! The pain at the thumb and the wrist is mostly due to the inflammation and swelling of the tendons, your physio is able to help with soft tissue therapy and make/suggest a splint to help reduce the irritation.
• Ice pack has been proven to help reduce swelling, inflammation and pain. Always apply ice once you are done using your thumb, for example, ice around the base of the thumb after you use mobile for 30 mins.
• Modified your daily routine by setting a reminder so you remember to take a break from all above activities to give your thumb tendons a rest and do some wrist and forearm stretches will help reduce the irritation and improve the condition.