Tackling tech injuries

The technological revolution has brought about many timesavers for an easier life: washing machines, cars, air travel, instant communication, etc. However, they have also brought a raft of new injuries. We have all heard of repetitive strain injury, caused by an action done repeatedly over long periods of time. Hitherto it was common in factory workers on assembly lines or typists, but these days you may have it, or even worse, your children may already be sufferers. We also know that sitting hunched over a laptop without regular breaks causes neck, shoulder and backaches. Yet we continue to do it and then moan about stiff necks.

Mobile phone elbow, or cubital tunnel syndrome, is a recent phenomenon: holding a phone to your ear for long periods causes pain in the elbow and tingling in the fingers. This action stretches the ulnar nerve, which extends from under the elbow and controls the ring and little fingers. Blood supply is restricted causing the tingling feeling. The more the arm bends, the more the nerve stretches, further restricting blood supply.

Now there's texter's thumb (which also applies to games console users). It seems just about everyone from age ten and above (or younger) is consumed with sending text messages, mostly using their thumbs. They could be literally wearing their fingers to the bone.

How do you know if you have it? Are your fingers stiff in the morning? Do you feel a sensation of pins and needles? Is there pain and pressure in your wrists? Are your thumbs stiff and painful? If so you may already be developing the problem. Small, fine movements tend to aggravate the nerves more than larger movements. This together with the smaller buttons can lead to injury as smaller buttons are harder to activate. So what can we do about it?

• Alternate the fingers you use and give thumbs a rest.

• Reduce the number and length of messages sent.

• Don't text for more than 20 minutes at a time without a break.

• Stretch out and massage the arms and rotate the wrists.

• Do shoulder shrugs. It is easier to relax a muscle once you have tightened it and that allows blood flow to the arm.

• Hold your arm at right angles from the elbow. Make a fist, tense it, then the whole arm. Hold for 2-3 seconds, relax and let the arm flop to your side.

• Stretch the wrist backwards, hold for 2-3 seconds, then stretch it forward for 2-3 seconds.

• When texting, tilt thumbs towards your wrists, straining the tendons to stop tightening of wrists.

• Spread fingers as wide apart as possible to keep the hand supple and mobile, hold for 2-3 seconds, then bunch them into a fist.

• Support head and shoulders when texting.

• Make a double chin. Stretch the muscles at the base of the neck.