Twitter-thumb : Social media-induced DeQuervain's Syndrome

As I type, my extensor pollicis brevis tendon is screaming for mercy. I am forced to take several (unwanted) breaks to ease the uncomfortable mix of pain and weakness that is sometimes accompanied by the uncanny twitching of my thumb and fingers. I am suffering from a terrible case of twitter-thumb. Bilateral twitter-thumb.

Twitter-thumb 

1. the horrible pain and weakness of the hand and forearm experienced by smartphone twitterphiles
   
2. Also known as Social Media Induced DeQuervain's Syndrome (SMIDS)

This case of b/l twitter thumb has occurred as a result of incessant iPhone finger-swiping and thumb-tweeting by an unaplogetic social-media-phile who can barely go 10 minutes without checking something on her phone (Let's see...Epocrates, Medscape, PubMed on Tap, Twitter, Blogger, Google Reader, Google+, Twitter, HuffingtonPost, Twitter, Email, Evernote, Twitter...)

Once symptoms became unbearable on one arm, this resourceful twitterite took to ambidexterity to conquer her handicap. Now, she finds herself dually debilitated with concurrent carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome induced by evenings spent huddled over her laptop catching-up on articles that were too long to read on her smartphone.

So severe is this case, that said twitterphile is now the victim of a husband-induced social media coup d'etat. iPhone and MacBookPro will soon be confiscated and mandatory immobilization has been enforced.

So consider yourselves warned. Don't end up like this blogger. Protect yourself from the pain, the unbearable pain of having to do without social media for a few days. Take preventive measures:

• tap instead of swipe when you can
• rest regularly
• practice ergonomically sound posture
• And take a lesson from calligraphers, use the shoulder and arm when you swipe -- to ease the fingers as much as you can