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Prevention, they say, is the best medicine. And when it comes to BlackBerry thumb, it might be the only medicine. It’s really the corporate version of “Gamer’s thumb,” an affliction that causes soreness in the thumbs after long sessions playing video games. But with 2.5 million BlackBerry users, it’s not just for video gamers anymore. Yeah, you can keep typing until you can’t type anymore, but that’s only going to cause long-term damage. It’s best to cut it off before it becomes a problem. So here are four tips from Dr. Rettig, via the Indianapolis Star, with my own descriptions:
- Take frequent breaks. Its pretty self-explanatory. But I’d be lying if I said I followed this all the time. Some messages can wait 15 minutes while you rest your hands. Players of the video game Guitar Hero know this. A 15 minute break means more playing time overall. So by sacrificing 15 minutes now, you can get more messaging in for the long run.
- Write fewer and shorter messages. This sometimes isn’t possible. Shorter messages, maybe. We can all do to be a bit more succinct (me more than anyone). Sometimes you just have to send a ton of messages. But by keeping them to five sentences, you should be fine.
- Adopt a neutral grip. One way Carpal Tunnel onsets because your wrists are bent at awkward angles. BlackBerry users are particularly susceptible to this. When gripping your BlackBerry at both sides, try to keep your wrists as straight as possible. The doctor suggests placing it on a flat surface for support.
- Avoid thumb typing. WHAT?!? The doctor suggests alternating typing between fingers, but I just can’t see that. We BlackBerry users pride ourselves on the ability to tap out messages at light speed with our thumbs. So yeah, while the best way to avoid BlackBerry thumb might be including your other fingers, this one seems a bit less reasonable than the previous three.
Do you have any specific methods for avoiding BlackBerry thumb? Or are you an old video gamer who isn’t affected as much by the ailment?
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5 Comments ↓
Thats a bad news for BlackBerry messaging freaks. Observed that many institutes have different opinion regarding wide keep pad use with thumb. Anywaz informative news!!
Can I get my 8703e to display time in hours:minutes: AND seconds? Thanks!
[...] our site. You may want to subscribe to the feed or follow us on Twitter.We all know of the dreaded BlackBerry Thumb. Some of us experienced this earlier in life, in a form known as gamer’s thumb. I know it can [...]
I have very large hands, so I actually manage to hold the Blackberry and type everything with my thumb and index fingers. Alternatively I also like to hold it in one hand and type with the other, but that’s generally a lot slower.
[...] accurate typer. Not only that, but it will reduce the stress created by typing, thereby avoiding BlackBerry Thumb. My brief review after the [...]
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