Blackberry Thumb and repetitive strain injuries

Office-related repetitive strain injuries have taken on a new twist. The BlackBerry™ has allowed us to take the office on the road, to write emails, make phone calls and prepare documents on the go. Depending on the user, that could be close to a hundred or more e-mails, text messages and phone calls per day.

Recently and unsurprisingly, some medical professionals have started to see a new repetitive strain injury — “BlackBerry thumb”. 

Because of the design of the keypad, users type with their thumbs. But the thumb is not designed to work this way. It’s less dexterous than the fingers and is used more to stabilize objects during pinching or gripping and tapping the space bar during typing. However, BlackBerry use has become so popular, that in the United States, the American Society of Hand Therapists has issued a warning to small electronic device users that repetitive use of these devices can lead to injury.

So what is a repetitive strain injury (RSI)? RSI occurs from repeated physical movement that eventually leads to damage of the soft tissues (tendons, nerves and muscles) that direct the movement. Repetitive strain injuries, contrary to popular belief, do not result strictly from using a computer. Many production line workers who do the same movement over and over can develop RSI-type injuries. Basically any movement or action that is repeated over a prolonged period of time could lead to overuse and tissue breakdown, weakness, inflammation and pain.

The increasing demand and use of computers and related tasks has led to a growth in the numbers of RSI conditions, such as Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, DeQuervians syndrome, epicondylitis, Thoracic outlet syndrome, myofascial pain and neck strain.

Certain risk factors increase the likelihood of developing these conditions. Repeated movement, inappropriate posture or technique, and inadequate training and prevention programs may contribute to RSI. The cost to both employers and employees is considerable. RSI accounts for close to one third of all workplace injuries and many of these conditions take months to heal.

As more and more of our free time is also spent in front of the computer, (downloading music, arranging our pictures, chatting with friends and playing video games) we increase our risk of developing a repetitive strain injury. In fact, Nintendo warns users in its user guide to take 15-20 minutes breaks for every hour of use. Repetitive strain injuries can be serious, very painful and debilitating, and could result in a lifestyle change and possibly a career change.

The symptoms to be aware of are: 
a) Tightness, stiffness or burning in your hands, fingers, forearms or elbows
b) Tingling, coldness or numbness in your hands
c) Clumsiness or loss of strength or coordination in your hands
d) Pain that wakes you up at night
e) Feeling the need to massage your hands, wrists and forearms
f) Pain in your upper back, shoulders or neck associated with computer use

To reduce your risk of developing an RSI condition, remember that moderation is always best. Learn to listen to your body. Recent work with relaxation techniques using muscular biofeedback have helped teach people to control and read the tension in the muscles they use when typing. This leads to better posture, better muscular control and reduced tension. These factors all work to prevent RSI conditions. Proper computer set up and positioning is also very important (see insert).

And finally, BlackBerry users need to be careful and might need to adapt and limit their use of the device. If not, we just might see more and more conditions related to the use of  these and other portable electronic devices and gaming machines.