Tech injuries

In a world that's becoming more and more digital and where a lot of time is spent in front of a screen, new complaints are brought to existence. You may have heard of mouse wrist? Or computer elbow? Texting thumb? In this post we list tech injuries and what you can do to get rid of them.

What is mouse wrist?

Mouse wrist is an umbrella term for a number of different complaints in the arm, shoulder, hand, wrist and neck. Mouse wrist often occur when you've been working in a non-ergonomic posture or due to one-sided work. That makes the ligaments, muscles, nerves and tendons overstrained.

Symptoms of mouse wrist are:

• Pain and stiffness
• Muscle weakness
• Numbness and tingling
• Swelling from elbow to wrist

Mouse wrist - What to do?

You can get rid of or avoid mouse wrist by simple means. If mouse wrist is a result from your working position, you need to change your working position. Try to support your forearm against something, buy a (new) computer mouse, raise or lower your desk or desk chair and alternate sitting position with standing position, for example.

To get rid of the stiffness and increase the blood flow when you're at work you can massage your forearm with Flowgun Pocket. We recommend you to use the massage head Hardhat Silicone, which is a flat massage head developed for flat areas, such as forearms.

If you want to use Flowgun GO 2.0 or Flowgun PRO 2.0 instead, we recommend you to use the massage head Axe. Axe is designed for long, narrow muscles, such as those who run along the arms.

What is computer elbow?

Computer elbow, better known as tennis elbow, is very common among computer users. Computer elbow means that the muscle attachment at the elbow is inflamed.

Symptoms of computer elbow are:

• Pain in or around the elbow
• Difficulty grasping things

Computer elbow - What to do?

An inflamed muscle is the result of a muscle being overstrained. Performing the same, monotonous movements repeatedly can be a reason. To avoid computer elbow you should go through your working posture and equipment.

The treatment method for computer elbow is the same as the treatment method for mouse wrist. Buy Flowgun Pocket, Flowgun GO 2.0 or Flowgun PRO 2.0 and start the treatment today!

What is texting thumb?

Texting thumb is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a thumb that has been texting too much. When the thumb texts too much the muscles become overstrained, which causes pain.

Symptoms of texting thumb are:

• Tingling in and around the thumb

Texting thumb - What to do?

You don't necessarily need to stop texting to get rid of texting thumb, even though a good advice is to actually let go of your phone for a while. It's not only good for your sore thumb but also for your eyes and your mind. You can also just switch hands (and thumbs) when texting.

What is text neck?

Text neck is the new vulture neck. It's caused by leaning over the phone for too long. It may not feel like such a big load but the head is heavy. If you tilt your head 60 degrees forward the load on your neck is around 30 kilos. It's not a big surprise you feel neck pain after a while in front of your phone.

Symptoms of text next are:

• Stiffness and pain in the neck and the upper part of the back
• Headache

Text neck - What to do?

If you're suffering from pain caused by text neck the best and most effective way to get rid of it is to reduce your screen time. When using your phone - think of your ergonomic sitting position.

If you're stiff and immobile as a result of text neck our massage pillow Flowpillow Heat can be very helpful. Flowpillow Heat has a built-in infrared heating and three different speed levels to choose from, which means you can adjust the treatment to your needs.

We can state that all tech related injuries are based on repeated movement patterns. Make sure to alternate and vary, whether it's a sitting position, work tools or even massage tools.