Too much cell phone use may harm elbows

Bending the elbow tighter than a 90 degree angle for an extended period of time will stretch the ulnar nerve by 8 to 15 percent which can cause the sensation of pins and needles in the pinkie and ring finger, Dr. Peter J. Evans, the director of the Hand and Upper Extremity Center at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio and colleagues note in a report in the May issue of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.

“Cell phone elbow”
Constant talking on cell phone can cause pain or numbness in forearms, as well as tingling in pinkie and ring fingers because of prolonged flexing of the elbow. Orthopedic specialists call the condition “cell phone elbow”, caused by compression of an essential nerve, which passes along the bony bump on the inside of the elbow.

Medically known as cubital tunnel syndrome, the new type of health hazard is gradually becoming common, according to the experts from the Cleveland Clinic who said the condition is affecting more and more people; specifically those who habitually talk on their cell phones for long periods of time.

Other than the cell phone addicts, people who sleep curled in a fetal position with their elbows overly bent or those who type in front of a computer with their elbows bent tighter than 90 degrees could develop the syndrome.

Holding a cell phone to the ear for too long causes the elbow to bend, putting pressure on elbow’s ulnar nerve that extends underneath the funny bone and controls the smallest fingers.

Prolonged flexing of the elbow could "stress out the ulnar nerves," said Dr. Evans. "The more you bend it, the more it stretches. It diminishes the blood supply, and the blood is not flowing through the nerves."

According to him, the prolonged bending of the elbow while holding a cell phone “chokes the blood supply to the nerves. It makes the nerves short-circuit. The next thing you know, there's tingling in the ring and small finger."

"It could impede your typing ability, your writing ability," Evans continued. "People get very unintelligible writing if it gets severe."

Experts say it is important to pay attention to any signs of cell phone elbow because the nerve damage can be severe enough to require surgery.

Evans said the remedies for the condition are simple. The condition can be avoided by limiting the amount of time on the phone as well as by switching hands or using hands-free devices, he said.