Symptoms of Smartphone Addiction

Whether sending work emails or browsing Instagram, we spend most of our waking hours on screens. This continuous use of phones affects our fingers. Pinky Propping, formally known as Smartphone Pinkie, is becoming common.

This is a condition in which your pinky becomes strained, painful, and even inflamed. Do you also use your pinky finger to support your big phone? Well, as effortless as it may seem, it might be straining your littlest finger. The orthopedic surgeons who have specified that we might be overburdening our pinkies have raised this concern!

We have come up with this guide to help you understand the issue and provide the ultimate solution to avoid pinky propping. Dive into it and learn about pinky propping and ways to preventand treat it.

How Smart Phone Usage affects us?

Here's why you should consider putting your phone down whenever you can and take it away from your children as well:

Children and the Smartphone

Technology rules our lives, and smartphones have become our sustenance. Even the children stay glued to the screens for hours without being interested in physical activities. Smartphones are a true enemy of our kids and their health, from ruining their eyesight to affecting their little brains to their physical well-being. Smartphone addiction can cause many issues for your kids ranging from the dangerous effects of the electromagnetic rays on their vision to the neck, back, and hand muscular problems. When they use the phones for extended periods, their muscles don't get enough time for recovery, leading to muscular trauma. The repetitive, unnatural hand motions can even lead toarthritis over time. Besides physical well-being, extra phone usage can decrease productivity, cognitive functioning, and focus.

Adults and the Smartphone

Smartphones are an integral part of personal and professional adult life—extended use is also causing various health issues in adults. Sleep disorders and stress are increasing due to the overuse of this technology. The risk of accidents has also soared due to using phones while traveling and driving. Phone radiationis believed to affect heart health and even fertility in men. Moreover, many eye problems and hearing impairments are caused by mobile phones. Besides skin allergies, and infections, muscular issues and arthritis are also aggravated due to adults' excessive use of smartphones.

Physical Problems due to Extended Smartphone Usage

Smartphones are wrecking our hearts in more than one way. As we spend most of our time on screen, they affect us physically. From experiencing eye problems to suffering from Cubital Tunnel Syndrome to pinky propping, these are just a few physical issues.

What is Pinky Propping?

Pinky Propping is a musculoskeletal and nerve problem arising from the extended use of smartphones with 'one-handed claw grip' – the term coined by the Washington Post. Consequently, the pinkie can become visually dented and may cause pain throughout the hand over time as the nerves in the fingers are connected to the wrist through tendons. This can even exacerbate conditions like tennis elbow and even arthritis.

Our hand has 27 bones and around 35 muscles. These bones and muscles are connected by 100 tendons. These tendons extend and contract when we have to move our fingers. Extended use of phones requires repetitive movements that tire the tendons and may even cause wear and tear resulting in inflammation and pain. This is called tendonitis.

Symptoms of Pinky Propping

Here are a few symptoms of Pinky Propping:

• Soreness

• Stiffness

• Difficulty moving fingers in the morning when you get up

• Clicking sound while moving it

• Fingertip numbness

You will experience the above symptoms in your dominant hand as you hold your phone in it most of the day. As smart devices are becoming larger day by day, more and more people are experiencing this issue.

The Right Way to Hold your Phone

Smartphones have become an integral part of our day-to-day lives. We use them for various tasks, from sending work emails to paying our bills to staying connected with the world. We literally can't live without them. For that matter, we must use the right way to hold our phones to avoid exasperating any existing conditions as well as physical discomfort. Here is the recommended way to hold your phone:

• Use both hands to hold your smartphone.

• Maintain an upright posture, and avoid leaning your head/neck forward.

• Use both your thumbs while typing/writing.

• Don't use the phone for long periods. If it is important for your work, take breaks and stretch your muscles, especially your neck and fingers, to avoid fatigue.

• It is also important to consider the size and weight of your smartphone if you use it for an extended time. Choose the right size and weight to avoid potential physical problems.

Remedies for Pinky Propping

If you are going through pain and stiffness in your pinky, here are a few remedies for you:

• Take a Break: Put your phone away and take a break from the screen time. Give your hands and fingers some rest and space. This will give your sore muscles and joints time to relax and recuperate.

• Icing to reduce inflammation: apply some ice on your pinkie to relieve the pain and reduce the inflammation.

• Apply Heat: you can also use a warm compress or a heating pad to reduce the swelling and pain.

• Stabilize your grip: using a brace or splint to support and keep your pinkie stable while you continue using your phone through the day is the best idea to help you with the condition and still get all your work done.

How can PNKY® help stabilize your grip and remove the weight of your pinky?

Introducing PNKY® by PNKYSTORE, the world’s first pinky stabilizer. It is the ultimate smartphone accessory that is a necessity in this time and again of phone overuse. It will effectively remove your pinky's burden and relieve its pain and inflammation. It features:

• A smart design that enables you to reach all corners of your phone screen comfortably while distributing the phone weight uniformly on the rest of the fingers and hands while your pinky rests on PNKY®.

• A built-in 360 rotation allows the thumb full range of motion while texting.

• A better balancing design for a shifted center of gravity for a natural grip without burdening the pinky.

• Stabilize your grip with PNKY® and use your phone for longer without pain.

So, visit our online store today to learn more about the PNKY®and order your today to relieve your Pinky propping right away!

Resources:

https://slate.com/technology/2021/10/smartphone-pinkie-iphone-injury-wrist-hand-explained.html

https://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/10-health-hazards-of-mobile-phones-139726/

https://sherwoodhigh.com/blogs/5-harmful-effects-of-smartphones-on-the-development-of-your-child/#:~:text=New%20studies%20also%20suggest%20that,to%20the%20British%20Psychological%20Society.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/smartphone-pinky-and-mobile-device-injuries/

https://fabiotandioy.com/en/hold-your-cell-phone-properly/

https://www.healthline.com/health/smartphone-finger#home-remedies

https://www.webmd.com/balance/ss/slideshow-smart-phone-health-problems