Texting aches

Texting your friends on your cell phone could trigger certain painful health issues. Most of us prefer texting to communicate with our loved ones and share our daily adventures. But texting long messages can lead to chronic pain problems. The rhythmic action of stroking the number pad of your cell phones or PDAs is a major health concern among teens and young adults. The thumb and our fingers are not naturally designed for tapping out messages on tiny keypads. During texting, your body is not positioned properly with the back staying stiff and the shoulders being static while the fingers work swiftly. Excessive thumb texting can result in sore thumbs and elbow pain interpreted as 'Blackberry Thumb' and 'Texting Tendonitis'. Students and professionals who spend most of the time typing on computer keyboards are associated with diseases like carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis, and tendonitis. Because of the similarities in body positioning while typing as well as texting, the medical world is suspecting the link between texting and these computer overuse injuries. A recent study showed that people who sent several text messages per day experienced shoulder discomfort. The next time you text a message beware of the health hazards.