5 Injuries Made Possible by Modern Technology

Modern technology has changed the way we’ve lived. YOU’VE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE. What’s important on this website about that fact is it also changes how you get injured at work, or when you’re having fun, or when you’re out at the club (which may not be as fun to some people as it is to others). The point is that tendinitis in the hands, wrists and neck never happened the way it does today. Typing is the main culprit, but other leisure can lead to annoying modern strain injuries, too.

1. Blackberry/iPod Thumb

As you might have guessed, the mini-keyboard is the cause of this one. Here, the thumb-side of your wrist will be strained. Blackberry Thumb is medically known as De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, which you can read about from the Mayo Clinic. One law firm in London even claimed it was expanding its claims staff to prepare for an influx of work-related compensation claims where texting or emailing on the go is expected of their employees:

Karen Jackson, a co-founder of the solicitors Roberts Jackson, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, said: “If no one knows about the risks involved, they won’t sue, but more and more people are becoming aware of health hazards in the workplace . . .

A lot of people displaying symptoms associated with repetitive strain injury do not realise they are work-related, but the number with symptoms is increasing.”

2. Raver’s Wrist

This one hearkens back to the night club, but as you might have guessed has specifically to do with the repetitive twisting and bending of the hands and wrists with glow sticks.  Of course, you don’t need to be into this scene to get a hit with this ailment.

3. Rubik’s Wrist

The Rubik’s cube is an old intellectual challenge, but enough knowledge about how to solve it has sufficiently passed around to get joyseekers the world over to enter themselves into speed competitions to determine the fastest solve.  That can add up to a lot of strain in the wrists – much more than keyboard injuries might – and in an area that already doesn’t have so much cushion.

As the kid in the video below puts it, “I got lucky on the first layer, but this is definetly one of my better times. Unfortunately, I’ve got Rubik’s wrist and I have to lay off the cube for a while, but enjoy!”

4. Stylus Finger

You’re finger isn’t the stylus in the photo above, but many people use it like one.  Press too hard or too often and you could find yourself with some sore knuckles, palms and definitely throbbing pain in your fingers.  Stylus finger, also called trigger finger, is related to Blackberry Thumb and requires the same line of care to avoid issues.

5. Text Neck

Would you believe there’s a Text Neck Institute?  As they define the problem:

The term, and the health condition, is derived from the onset of cervical spinal degeneration resulting from the repeated stress of frequent forward head flexion while looking down at the screens of mobile devices and ‘texting’ for long periods of time.

As Dr. Fishman, the founder of the institute reminds us, the head weighs around 10 pounds, doubling the pressure on the neck and upper spine for every extra inch someone leads their head forward.  With the rise in use of smartphones and particularly now tablets (Apple and PC), it’s important to remember the basics: keep your eyes level and the screen straight ahead to avoid unnecessary neck bending.

Check out our other ergonomic tips on better posture.  Also, tech is not the enemy if done right!  Here’s a starter list for essential ergonomic products.