Our Smartphone Addiction is Playing Havoc with Our Bodies
In today’s world, it’s become normal to see everyone around you with a smartphone glued to the side of their head, their eyes fixated on the small screen as if in a trance, or their thumbs typing faster than the speed of light. The devices make our lives easier by playing the role of small personal assistants and handling everything from organizing our lives, entertaining us with games, waking us from sleep, reminding us of appointments and getting us to where we are going. However, it calls into question could the compact apparatuses we’ve come to rely on so heavily be having negative effects on our health and well-being? It seems so.
As our addiction to smartphones seems to grow, so does the research and studies showing they are having negative effects on our bodies. In fact, an article published in the Telegraph in April 2016 concerning the results of a study done by Chonnam National University Hospital in Seoul, Korea, show children overusing mobile phones are affected with Strabismus, commonly known as cross-eyed.
According to the study, when using smartphones, children are holding the device approximately 8- to 12-inches from their faces. It further showed that nine out of 12 children in the study had the condition, but when they stayed off the phone for two months, the condition went away. The researchers of the study recommended children not to stare at the phone for longer than 30-minute intervals.
Blackberry/Smartphone Thumb
An article published on Bio-Medicine, quotes the The American Physical Therapy Association in regards to blackberry thumb, “Blackberry Thumb” should now be considered a part of workplace injuries. It is a repetitive-stress injury that occurs due to the frequent use of the popular BlackBerry devices.”
Emory Healthcare further defines the syndrome as “smartphone thumb,” stating, “Smartphone thumb is a repetitive stress injury defined by pain or discomfort in the wrist and thumb when bending either one toward the pinkie finger. You may also experience a dull ache in the base of your thumb or pain and snapping in your thumb when you bend and straighten it.” They continue by saying, “Smartphone thumb comes from typing on a little keyboard with your thumbs while holding your hands in an awkward position.”
To prevent injury to your thumbs, Emory suggests one should limit smartphone keyboard use, use a regular-sized keyboard, rest your hands if they feel discomfort and watch your posture, as well as using ice if you suffer inflammation in your hands.
Cellphone Elbow
According to an article published by Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, “With prolonged cellular telephone use, people may note the onset of aching, burning, numbness, or tingling in the ulnar forearm and hand. This constellation of symptoms, termed “cellphone elbow” by the lay press, is known medically as cubital tunnel syndrome—the second most common nerve compression syndrome in the upper extremities after carpal tunnel syndrome.”
The Clinic goes on to state in regards to alleviating the problem, “In most cases, treatment consists simply of modifying the activity and avoiding activities that aggravate the symptoms. Switching hands frequently while talking on the phone or using a hands-free headset can help.”
It seems like cellphone elbow is here to stay and cases will be on the rise as the Clinic notes, “The exact incidence of cellphone elbow is not known, but anecdotal reports and our own clinical experience indicate that its incidence parallels the rise in the use of cell phones and computer workstations.”
Text Neck
Texting and bending your neck to look at your smartphone has led to a symptom called “text neck.” Chris Cornett, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and spine specialist at University of Nebraska Medical Center states, “When you hold your body in an abnormal position, it can increase stress on the muscles, cause fatigue, muscle spasms and even stress headaches. With every degree of motion to the front or side that you move your head, the stress on your neck is magnified beyond just the weight of the head.”
Dr. Cornett suggests avoiding text neck by modifying the position of the device so you are looking at it at eye-level, taking breaks and changing positions when using the phone and making sure your neck is physically fit.
Text Claw
The term “text claw” might not be an official medical diagnosis yet, but if you’ve spent large amounts of time using and holding your phone, you probably know that cramping and aching feeling in your hands and fingers.
Orthopedic surgeon Aaron Daluiski, M.D., chief of the Hand and Upper Extremity Service at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City is quoted in The Huffington Post explaining what text claw is, as well as its cause, “But being glued to tech devices like smart phones can exacerbate certain conditions. For instance, tendinitis — which is inflammation of the tendons, the cords that attach bone to the muscle — is linked to overuse and repetitive motions of the hands or fingers.
The article continues with Eugenia Papadopoulos, an occupational therapist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center suggesting several methods to alleviate the symptoms and discomforts of text claw. She suggested applying heat to the affected area, in cases where the tendinitis is chronic and lasting more than a week. If the discomfort is new and experienced about a week, apply cold to the area. Stretching and flexing the hands backward and forward to help the tendon stretch, was also suggested.
Dr. Daluski concludes by suggesting those who start experiencing discomfort should just take a break from texting and smartphone use.
As with most things in life and it seems it applies to smartphone use, too much of a good thing is still bad for us. Also, and as with all things, it seems we need to adhere to the guidelines of moderation when it comes to smartphone use to protect our health.
References:
The Telegraph: From Text Neck to Blackberry Thumb: The Surprising Injuries Inflicted by your Smartphone
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/health/from-text-neck-to-blackberry-thumb-the-surprising-injuries-infli/
Emory Healthcare: Smartphone Thumb: When the Toys We Love Don’t Love Us Back
http://advancingyourhealth.org/orthopedics/2012/05/11/what-is-smartphone-thumb-prevention/
The Huffington Post: Text Claw: How to Alleviate Pain From Too Much Smartphone Use
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/05/text-claw-pain-hand-smartphone_n_3825077.html
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine: What is Cell Phone Elbow, And What We Should Tell Our Patients?
http://www.ccjm.org/index.php?id=107937&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=362017&cHash=80522bc840b78a276c5ed629b5c5e3b7
University of Nebraska Medical Center: Texting Becoming a Pain in The Neck
http://www.unmc.edu/news.cfm?match=10553
The Economic Times: Excessive Smartphone Use Can Make Your Kids Squint
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/excessive-smartphone-use-can-make-your-kid-squint/articleshow/51941176.cms
Bio-Medicine: Avoid “Blackberry Thumb”
http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/Avoid–22BlackBerry-Thumb-22-14078-1/