Cell Phone Injuries

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Two stories

http://news.health.com/2009/06/02/cell- ... wired-age/


TUESDAY, June 2 (HealthDay News) — First came Nintendo thumb. Then, Guitar Hero wrist. Now, for the latest affliction of the wired age, it’s cell phone elbow.

Medically known as cubital tunnel syndrome, cell phone elbow is numbness, tingling and pain in the forearm and hand caused by compression of the ulnar nerve, which passes along the bony bump on the inside of the elbow.

One of the causes of pressure on the ulnar nerve? Too much gabbing, often brought on by those cell phone plans with unlimited minutes, experts say.

Prolonged flexing of the elbow, such as when you hold a cell phone to your ear while closing sales, talking to your mother or keeping tabs on your teens while you’re at work, puts tension on the ulnar nerve. In susceptible people, holding the bent-elbow position for extended periods can lead to decreased blood flow, inflammation and compression of the nerve.

“Repetitive, sustained stretching of the nerve is like stepping on a garden hose,” said Dr. Peter J. Evans, director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Hand and Upper Extremity Center. “With the hose, you’re blocking the flow of water. With the elbow, you’re blocking the blood flow to the nerve, which causes it to misfire and short circuit.”

The first symptoms patients often notice include numbness, tingling or aching in the forearm and hand, a pain similar to hitting your “funny bone.” (The unpleasant sensation of hitting your “funny bone” is actually your ulnar nerve.)

As symptoms progress, they can include a loss of muscle strength, coordination and mobility that can make writing and typing difficult. In chronic, untreated cases, the ring finger and pinky can become clawed, Evans and colleagues note in a report in the May issue of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.

Though there are no solid figures on how many people have cell phone elbow, hand specialists say the incidence is increasing along with the 3.3 billion cell phone service contracts active worldwide, Evans said.

Still, the disorder is less common than carpal tunnel syndrome, a related condition that causes pain in the hand and wrist. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve that runs from the forearm into the hand.

“Cubital tunnel is the second most common compression syndrome we see,” said Heather Turkopp, an occupational therapist and certified hand specialist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.

Most people who get cubital tunnel syndrome are middle-aged or older. Women get cubital tunnel syndrome more often than men — and it’s probably not because they talk more.

Although the precise reasons are unknown, women may be more susceptible due to hormonal fluctuations or their anatomy, Evans said.

And too much yakking isn’t the only cause of cubital tunnel syndrome. Other causes may include sleeping with the elbows bent and tucked up into the chest, sitting at a desk with the elbows flexed at an angle greater than 90 degrees and driving with your elbow propped on the window for extended periods, he said.

In most cases, minor lifestyle changes can help alleviate symptoms, including using a hands-free headset for your cell phone. If sleep position is the problem, an elbow pad to keep the arm straighter at night can help.

More serious cases are referred to an occupational therapist, who may use ultrasound to loosen scar tissue that can form around the nerve as a result of the inflammation, as well as stretching, deep massage and “nerve-gliding” exercises to reduce pressure on the nerve, Turkopp said.

Doctors may also use anti-inflammatory injections or surgery.

Seeing your doctor soon if you’re experiencing any numbness or tingling in your hand or forearm can prevent the problem from progressing to that point, Evans said.

More information

The University of Virginia has more on cubital tunnel syndrome.

By Jennifer Thomas
HealthDay Reporter

SOURCES: Peter J. Evans, M.D., Ph.D., director, Hand and Upper Extremity Center, Cleveland Clinic; Heather Turkopp, OTR, CHS, occupational therapist, certified hand specialist, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Mich.; May 2009, Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine

Last Updated: June 02, 2009

Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.




http://news.health.com/2008/06/16/bewar ... rry-thumb/


Beware the “Blackberry Thumb”

SUNDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) — It’s rare these days to see a teenager without a cell phone in hand, texting for hours at a time, seemingly without health consequences. But, when older folks attempts to spend the day e-mailing, instant messaging and surfing the Web on a handheld device, repetitive stress injuries—such as “Blackberry thumb”—are much more likely to occur.

Dubbed “Blackberry thumb” because of the popularity of that particular model of wireless personal digital assistant (PDA), this repetitive stress injury occurs because these devices rely almost solely on the use of your thumbs for typing, instead of all your fingers.

Any device that relies on the thumbs for typing can cause this type of injury because the thumbs simply weren’t designed for such use.

“Blackberries and other PDAs can cause tendinitis from working in such a small space with the thumbs,” explained Kristen Crowe, a certified hand therapist with Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. “The problem is that people are doing the same activity for long periods of time that the body just wasn’t meant to do. Teens seem to do OK with it. It’s around age 40 or 50 the ‘itises’ [such as tendinitis] start to crop up.”

Margot Miller, president of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Occupational Health Special Interest Group, added: “Because the keyboard of the PDA is so small, and because the thumb, which is the least dexterous part of the hand, is overtaxed, the risk of injury just skyrockets.”

“The use of PDAs is no longer limited to the eight hours spent in the workplace,” Miller said. “More and more, people are depending on these devices to stay in touch with friends and family before and after the workday and on the weekends, as well as having access to work when they leave the office. That is where the heart of the problem lies.”

Symptoms of “Blackberry thumb” include pain and numbness in the thumbs and joints of the hand.

Most people who rely on PDAs wouldn’t readily give them up, even for an injury, so it’s fortunate that there are treatments available.

Crowe’s first suggestion is to take a break from the device for just a little while. “If it’s painful, switch your activity until you feel rested. Don’t try to work through pain thinking it will go away. Take a vacation if you can,” she recommended.

“Try to do more on your computer. Don’t write phone books on your PDA. Limit yourself to ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers when you can,” advised Dr. Charles Leinberry Jr., a hand and wrist specialist at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Leinberry, who is also an assistant clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, said that splinting, usually with a custom-made splint worn while you’re sleeping, can relieve some of the pressure on your thumb and other joints, and improve your symptoms.

Both Crowe and Leinberry said it’s important to pay attention to your workspace ergonomics to make sure you’re not putting any extra stress on your thumb and hands. Crowe added that many times, small changes in the work area can have a big impact on your health.

“Getting a new office or doing more work at home—possibly at the dining room table—can throw off your posture,” she said, which can result in muscle and nerve disorders like tendinitis or carpal tunnel syndrome.

Crowe also recommended icing the injured area. And, both experts suggested doing strengthening exercises once the pain subsides. Ask your physician or physical or occupational therapist to show you what to do.

In the worst cases, Leinberry said that cortisone shots or surgery can be helpful.

But, he also pointed out, most people never have a significant problem.

“Just use common sense. Be smart with your use—shorten answers and just use the devices when you need to. And, if you feel discomfort, stop using it and get in to see a physician,” he said.

More information

To learn more about preventing repetitive stress injuries to the hand, visit the Cleveland Clinic.

SOURCES: Charles Leinberry Jr., M.D., hand and wrist specialist, Rothman Institute, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and assistant clinical professor, orthopedic surgery, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia; Kristen Crowe, registered occupational therapist and certified hand therapist, Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Mich.; American Physical Therapy Association, news release

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter

Last Updated: June 15, 2008

Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

[darklighter1]

I JUST got a cell phone injury!!! I opened up my bill notice and it came to $435 this month!!! My eyes came out of my head. It's hurts so much putting them back in!

[AYHJA]

CDRLMBAO

That's the primary reason I don't have one...Man, fuck that....Definitely don't need another bill...

[jdog]

CDRLMBAO

That's the primary reason I don't have one...Man, fuck that....Definitely don't need another bill...

I have a pay-as-you-go cell phone. I just feed money in whenever I need to use it. I don't worry about a bill coming every month.