Your wrist aches after a long day of typing, your thumb is sore after an evening of scrolling, or your hand feels tired after a marathon gaming session. Your hands do a huge amount of repetitive work every day, often without a break. A few changes to your set-up and routine can help them feel more comfortable.

Why your wrists and hands can ache

Your wrist and hand contain lots of small joints, tendons and muscles that work together for every click, tap and keystroke. When the same small movements are repeated for hours, with little rest, the tendons and muscles can become tired and sore.

Thumbs often take the brunt of phone use. Scrolling and typing with one thumb, while gripping the phone with the rest of your hand, asks a lot of the tendons at the base of your thumb. Gaming controllers and mice can do the same for your wrist and fingers.

In most cases, this kind of pain is a sign of overuse rather than damage, and it usually settles when the load comes down. Many people notice it most during busy periods, like exam season or a heavy project at work, when hand use goes up and breaks go down.

Looking at your set-up

Some changes that can help at your desk:

• Keep your wrists straight when typing, rather than bent up or to the side.
• Bring your keyboard and mouse close, so your elbows can rest near your sides.
• Rest your forearms on the desk, rather than resting your wrists on a hard edge.
• Try a mouse that fills your hand, or a vertical mouse if a standard one feels uncomfortable.
• Use keyboard shortcuts to cut down on clicking.

Using your phone more comfortably

Some ideas for easing the load on your thumbs:

• Hold your phone in both hands and type with both thumbs.
• Rest your phone on a table or your lap with your forearms supported.
• Use voice notes or dictation for longer messages.
• Swap the hand you scroll with every so often.
• Set screen time reminders to break up long scrolling sessions.

Gaming more comfortably

For gaming, some changes that can help:

• Take a short break between matches or levels to shake out your hands.
• Rest your forearms on a desk or cushions rather than holding them up.
• Loosen your grip on the controller or mouse between moments of intense action.

Taking breaks

Short, regular breaks give your hands a chance to recover. Swapping between typing and other tasks, like reading or calls, helps too. VIDA’s Pomodoro stretches, in the top right corner, can remind you to pause during focused work.

During a break, you could try:

• Opening your hand wide, then making a gentle fist.
• Gently bending your wrist up and down.
• Turning your palm up, then down.
• Touching your thumb to each fingertip in turn.

If you would like a guided stretch, VIDA has short videos you can follow at your own pace.

Building strength

Stronger forearm and hand muscles cope better with repetitive work. Something to try a few times a week, using a light weight like a water bottle:

• Wrist curls. Rest your forearm on a table, palm up, with your hand over the edge. Slowly lift and lower your hand.
• Reverse wrist curls. Same position, palm down.
• Grip squeezes. Squeeze a soft ball or rolled-up sock for a few seconds, then let go.

Start with a few comfortable repetitions and build up gradually.

Looking at your whole day

Your hands may go from a full day of typing to an evening of gaming and scrolling, with little rest in between. Looking at the whole day can help you spot where to make space. Swapping some screen time for something that uses your hands differently, like cooking, sport or a walk, gives them a break.

Your VIDA pain check-in can help you notice which activities make your wrist or hand feel worse.

What to take away

• Keep your wrists straight and forearms supported when typing.
• Hold your phone in both hands and use voice notes for longer messages.
• Take short breaks to move your hands between tasks.
• Build forearm and grip strength a few times a week.
• Look at your whole day of hand use, not just work.

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