Hands free

THE alert has been raised by the American Society of Hand Therapists, those guardians of fingers and wrists: Apparently, heavy and extended ...

March 6, 2005 12:00 AM IST

2 min read

THE alert has been raised by the American Society of Hand Therapists, those guardians of fingers and wrists: Apparently, heavy and extended use of portable electronic devices8212;Pocket PCs, Blackberrys, cellphones and, yes, iPods8212;can cause long-term damage.

8216;8216;Handheld electronics may require prolonged grips, repetitive motion on small buttons and awkward wrist movements,8217;8217; said society president Donna Breger Stanton. 8216;8216;This combination can lead to hand, wrist and arm ailments such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis.8217;8217;

The therapists have released several guidelines for those of us addicted to our mobile tunes, our IMs, our Web surfing
8226; Use a neutral grip when holding the device. A neutral grip is when the wrist is straight, not bent in either direction
8226; Switch hands frequently. This will allow one hand to rest and reduce fatigue
8226; Do hand exercises. For example, fold your hands together and turn your palms away from your body as you extend your arms forward. You should feel a stretch all the way from the shoulders to your fingers. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat eight times. Do the same exercise, but this time extend your arms overhead
8226; Extend an arm in front of you, making sure the elbow is completely straight. With your palm down, take the opposite hand and bend the hand down toward the floor. Then turn the palm up, and stretch the hand up toward your body. This stretches the forearm and wrist muscles. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat eight times
8226; Open up hands and spread the fingers as far as possible. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat eight times