HANDY

Go Beyond Tracking Your Pain

MIHIRA PATEL

As a 23 year old, Patel experienced hand pain from Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) due to working long hours in a non-ergonomic setup without breaks. It was very isolating and frustrating to deal with the pain, leading to a delayed diagnosis. Now 26, she faces lasting effects limiting her hand movements. This sparked her passion for physical hand health awareness in young adults. Patel seeks to empower young adults to care for their hands to prevent chronic injuries from over or improperly using devices. 

Repetitive stress injuries can occur from everyday motions that result in damaging muscles, nerves, ligaments, and tendons. Proper care is needed for hand dexterity as prolonged computer or device use without breaks or stretching can cause severe damage. Today, almost 30 million people in the US suffer from RSI. As individuals age, the risk of RSI increases if left untreated. It is important to prioritize awareness, prevention, and recognition of RSI in hands in today’s digital age. 

Awareness of Hand Pain – A poster campaign for Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) in hands lists the common causes, five types of RSI with visual symptoms for better understanding, and advises taking action if experiencing any symptoms. It also aims to raise awareness and educate people on the importance of early intervention.

Prevention for Care – A booklet on RSI prevention is a valuable resource emphasizing hand health through four exercises to strengthen fingers, wrists, and thumbs, promoting their inclusion in daily routines. The regimen stresses regular breaks during work hours to ease muscle tension, improve circulation, and prevent fatigue. 

Action to Share – The Handy app assists in understanding and discussing hand pain by revealing patterns through a visual diary. All symptoms are visually depicted for easy correlation to your pain experience. Individuals are also able to sketch the painful area to track which areas are causing the most discomfort. The journey feature highlights symptom frequency and utilizes AI for injury depiction. It encourages people to contact a medical professional if symptoms persist and the emotions page shares resources for support groups. The symptom report can be shared with medical professionals before appointments to facilitate easier communication about the pain or condition.

MIHIRA PATEL

A visual designer by heart, but then curiosity got the best of her. Mihira Patel loves to talk to people and understand their needs, leading her to create informed designs. She is a UI/UX designer crafting intuitive experiences through user research and visual design. 

mpatel5@sva.edu | mihirapatel.com | LinkedIn @mihira-patel Instagram @mihira_shadeslayer