Hands up all those in favour of spa treatments!

In the good old, bad old days, the fairer sex’s hands and fingers had to endure the effects of long hours of exposure to water and detergents, as they contended with veritable mountains of clothes and dishes. The result, more often than not, was horribly chapped hands and even – albeit some years later – arthritis.

Nowadays, fortunately, our hands and fingers are protected from the worst of the washing day blues by a raft of modern solutions, ranging from the technological wizardry of automatic washing machines to the humble rubber glove.

However, these methods are of little help in combating the latest threat to our digital and manual welfare, namely keyboards and mobile phones. For if soapsuds were the scourge of earlier centuries, when it comes to looking after our hands and fingers in the 21^st century, texting and typing are the villains.

With many of us spending up to eight or more hours a day typing – not to mention firing texts to friends and family in between – it’s scarcely surprising that our wrists and fingers have begun to feel the (repetitive) strain.  And it’s equally unsurprising that demand for spa treatments for hands is booming at UK spas.

More and more of us who regularly use keyboards for long hours, or who text more than is good for us, are experiencing tingling, numbness and pain in our fingers and wrists.

Often these symptoms are simply a sign of tired hands.  However, in a growing number of cases, they indicate more serious conditions such as RSI, tendonitis, arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome. That’s why it’s always important to seek a professional diagnosis.

If the doctor simply reckons that you’re overworking your hands with excessive typing, then relaxing spa treatments such as Ragdale Hall’s exotic-sounding LI’TYA Rejuvenating Miji Polama Hand Treatment or Perfect Sense Paraffin Wax Hand Treatment will help relax your muscles and ease any discomfort.

Of course, the best way to protect your hands and wrists is to prevent damage occurring in the first place by ensuring that your work station is ergonomically set up. So here are a few “handy” tips that may help…

Firstly, ensure that your chair and desk are at the right height and be vigilant about your posture – no slumping! Secondly, it’s well worth trying out several “mice” to find the one that places least stress on your wrist. And thirdly, take frequent breaks from typing.  Talking of which…