July 11, 2004
Thumbs down
Singaporeans may be the fastest at SMS-ing, but at what cost? An interesting article from The Straits Sunday Times.
"The short message from doctors is this - frequent SMS-ing can be bad news for you. In particular, they are worried about repetitive strain injuries (RSI). The condition is commonly associated with people who engage in daily jobs requiring frequent keyboard or computer mouse usage.
But this could also apply to SMS lovers, says Associate Professor Lim Beng Hai, a senior consultant hand surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre.
Every time your thumb and index finger pinch on each other, a force five to 10 times is transmitted onto the joint at the base of the thumb,' he says.
SMS users usually use the thumb to type out messages, while supporting the phone with the index finger. 'Over time, this could cause arthritis at the joint, or inflammation at the tendons,' says Dr Lim.
Prof Lim has seen about six to 10 patients with RSI complaints since the start of the year. He says the number is set to increase over time.
Similarly, Dr Aymeric Lim at the National University Hospital says its department of hand and reconstructive microsurgery has seen a rise in such patients.
But he adds that most do not get RSI purely from SMS-ing, noting that SMS is one of the factors that aggravate their injury.
'Unlike computer gaming or work, people are unlikely to SMS for, say, 10 hours at a go, so SMS itself is unlikely to be the only cause of RSI,' says Dr Lim, who is acting chief of the department.
When RSI strikes SMS lovers, it will probably be in the form of a sharp pain at the base of the thumb, brought on by movement of the thumb. The condition is known as De Quervain's tenosynovitis, says Dr Lim."
Related articles:
-- RSI victim warsn about threat to children - Although it has yet to be proven, texting could lead to repetitive strain injury or aggravate existing injuries. To create awarness, Australians are being urged to practise safe text.
-- RSD from Texting - Dr. Josephine Bondoc, a physician at the Philippine General Hospital, said almost 40 percent of patients who seek consultation at the rehabilitative ward suffer from the disorder and that most of them are young.
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