If you’re diagnosed with texting tenosynovitis, you’ll likely wear a wrist tape for two to three weeks. Here are some effective tips that help manage pain from overuse due to typing and texting and even avoid it in the future.
- Place your affected palm facing the table. Move your thumb back and forth gradually away from your fingers and wrist. Repeat these 5 to 10 times.
- With your affected palm facing the table, slowly move your thumb up and down. Repeat these 5 to 10 times. Once you no longer feel pain while doing these exercises, move your wrist and hand off the table and continue the exercise.
- Place a band around the tips of the fingers and thumb. Move your thumb against the resistance of the band.
- Stretch out your affected hand. With our other hand, gradually push down the back of the hand, stretching the wrist. Hold this position for 30 seconds, and repeat it up to three times. Do the same thing by stretching upwards instead of downwards.
- Hold a cold drink can upright with the affected hand. Turn the can to the sides and return to the starting position facing the side. Repeat two sets of 15.
Another suggestion is using heat on the affected palm to lose the tight tendon and ice to reduce swelling from texting tenosynovitis.