Truth is stranger...

[jducoeur]

Tonight's medical report on the nightly news was all about the latest forms of RSI: "cell phone elbow" and "Blackberry thumb". And on the one hand, I can see why these are arising, and I sympathize with the sufferers. But on the other, I can't help but feel that, if Mad Magazine or the Onion had written exactly that article, in exactly those words, a few years years ago it would have been considered terribly funny...

Comments

[galaneia.livejournal.com]

I know I would have found it very funny. Blackberry thumb I can understand, but what is cell phone elbow?

[jducoeur]

It apparently arises (I was only half paying attention) in people who are on their cells so much that the motion of bringing the phone up to their ear and holding it there wears down the nerves passing through the elbow. Causes all sorts of pain throughout the arm and hand. They had a bunch of recommendations, including switching hands holding the cellphone periodically...

[mr-teem.livejournal.com]

It's either lateral epicondylitis or cubital tunnel syndrome or a combination of both.

The ulnar nerve goes through a relatively narrow channel in your elbow, the cubital tunnel. If you compress it too much, you get tingling, numbness, and potentially pain. (If you've ever hit your "funny bone", you've managed to hit the nerve in that spot.) Epicondylitis is an inflammation of the tendons and muscles in that area which can also cause nerve compression.

Holding your cell phone to your ear too much can stress the elbow in a way that causes either. You could also get those conditions (I had lateral epicondylitis which they thought was cubital tunnel) from leaning too much on your elbows while typing, gaming, etc.

[jducoeur]

I believe one of the doctors interviewed was specifically referring to cubital tunnel, although the article didn't bother to explain what he was talking about...

[gyzki.livejournal.com]

MAD Magazine has had a tremendous track record of humorous predictions that turned out to come true. Air pollution from aerosol cans, cars that wouldn't start until the driver buckled their seatbelt a/o passed a breathalyzer test, a long-running comedy set in the Korean War, photo development so fast people expect them back the same day. Really, Blackberry Thumb would be nothing. (Actually, it makes me think of Little Jack Horner.)