Why Typing Makes Your Thumbs Hurt: 4 Possible Causes

Opposable thumbs are one of the things that set humans apart from most of the animal kingdom. For centuries, they’ve helped us grab and grip items, allowing us to make increasingly sophisticated tools. That includes the phone you’ve probably held very recently and the keyboard on your computer or laptop. 

There’s a problem, though. The technology we’ve developed isn’t necessarily ideally suited to the way our thumbs function. In our digital age, an increasing number of people complain of thumb pain. For many, that pain gets worse when they type or text. 

If you’re one of those people, see Ike Malik, MD, and our team at Texas Pain & Orthopedics in Pflugerville, Texas. Dr. Malik can help you explore treatments for alleviating your thumb pain, including nonsurgical orthopedics. 

The right treatment depends on what’s going on with your thumb, so it helps to start by figuring that out first. 

Causes of tech-based thumb pain

Some of the leading causes of thumb pain while texting and typing include:

#1: Strain

While our thumbs play a key role in our hands, they’re not optimally suited to the repetitive movements that come with texting and typing. Doing the same things over and over again — like scrolling on your phone — can strain the soft tissues in and around your thumb. 

Doctors are calling this texter’s thumb and/or gamer’s thumb. 

#2: Tendon inflammation 

There’s some overlap between texter’s thumb and a longer-established condition called de Quervain's tenosynovitis. In other words, the strain from repetitive motions like texting and typing can cause inflammation in the tendons of your thumb, the key symptom of de Quervain's tenosynovitis. 

With this condition, you might notice pain or even swelling localized to the base of your thumb. You may also experience a catching sensation when you move your thumb. 

#3: Joint inflammation

Your thumb pain might not come from a soft tissue problem, but instead from an issue with one or more of the joints in your thumb. Thumb arthritis gets more common as you get older. 

As an expert in joint pain, Dr. Malik can help you address issues in the small but important joints of your thumb. 

#4: Carpal tunnel syndrome

When inflammation presses on a key nerve that runs through your wrist, it contributes to carpal tunnel syndrome. Thumb pain when you type or text is common with carpal tunnel. 

You might feel a burning or tingling sensation in your thumb, and it may affect your index and middle fingers, too. You might also notice that your grip feels weaker. 

What to do to soothe your thumb

As with most strain-based injuries, texter’s thumb usually just needs rest. De Quervain's tenosynovitis often benefits from it, too. If you notice that your thumb is hurting, put your phone down for a while. Icing the area or supporting it with a brace can also help. 

If you’re dealing with inflammation, Dr. Malik can help you find treatments to alleviate it. That might mean taking medication or getting corticosteroid injections. 

Steroid injections might also be helpful for thumb arthritis. Dr. Malik has additional treatments for this kind of joint problem, including viscosupplementation and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). 

Splinting and medication often help with thumb pain that comes from carpal tunnel syndrome. 

As all of this illustrates, the right treatment depends on what’s causing your thumb pain. To learn more about getting care to help ease your discomfort, call our office or book your appointment online today.