Chatbug Karen

Ouch! That looks painful. With everyone texting these days, you would have to wonder when the inevitable would happen. How long would it take our poor thumbs to cry out in distress? Thumbs are not the most dexterous part of the hand. According to WebMD, the thumb is really designed as a stabilizer for pinch gripping with a finger. That is why you only have two of them, not eight. It is the fingers that have dexterity, not the thumb.

Texters are sending messages on over 16 million devices worldwide. Many people soon learn to type 40 words a minute just by using their thumbs. That’s a lot of thumb action. If you’re sending lots of text messages, you may have the trendiest new malady: “BlackBerry thumb.” Hand therapists attribute the malady to working in such a small space with the thumbs. All that repetitive motion can lead to painful swelling of the sheath around the tendons in the thumb.

To prevent or relieve the symptoms of Blackberry thumb, take a break from the device for a while.

Limit your usage and stick with yes and no answers.

Use the tip of a pencil eraser to type your message.

Pay attention to your posture.

Ice down your thumbs.

Check with your physician to see if cortisone shots or surgery is necessary.