Texting long messages can be a pain in the neck.
Texting
long
messages
can
be
a
pain
in
the
neck
.
The repetitive action of working your fingers across the keyboard of your cell phone can cause some of the same chronic pain problems previously limited to those who'd spent a lifetime typing.
The
repetitive
action
of
working
your
fingers
across
the
keyboard
of
your
cell
phone
can
cause
some
of
the
same
chronic
pain
problems
previously
limited
to
those
who
'd
spent
a
lifetime
typing
.
The possible connection is particularly worrying considering how much teens and young adults--and increasingly those in professional settings--are texting nowadays, said Judith Gold, who carried out one of the first studies on the potential connection.
The
possible
connection
is
particularly
worrying
considering
how
much
teens
and
young
adults
--
and
increasingly
those
in
professional
settings
--
are
texting
nowadays
,
said
Judith
Gold
,
who
carried
out
one
of
the
first
studies
on
the
potential
connection
.
Text messaging is a fairly new technology, Gold says, so this is a new area of research for those who study ergonomics.
Text
messaging
is
a
fairly
new
technology
,
Gold
says
,
so
this
is
a
new
area
of
research
for
those
who
study
ergonomics
.
But "considering the similarities in body position, findings from research on overuse injuries from computers could be applicable" to texting.
But
``
considering
the
similarities
in
body
position
,
findings
from
research
on
overuse
injuries
from
computers
could
be
applicable
''
to
texting
.
"The way the body is positioned for texting - fixed shoulders and back with rapidly moving fingers - is similar to the position for typing on a computer," Gold explained.
``
The
way
the
body
is
positioned
for
texting
-
fixed
shoulders
and
back
with
rapidly
moving
fingers
-
is
similar
to
the
position
for
typing
on
a
computer
,
''
Gold
explained
.
Previous research has found pain in the elbow connected with too much thumb texting.
Previous
research
has
found
pain
in
the
elbow
connected
with
too
much
thumb
texting
.
To look for a broader link between texting and chronic pain, Gold and her colleagues sent a questionnaire to 138 college students, asking them to report the number of text messages they sent per day (in four categories: 0, 1-10, 11-20, 21+ messages) and to point out any discomfort they felt on a body map.
To
look
for
a
broader
link
between
texting
and
chronic
pain
,
Gold
and
her
colleagues
sent
a
questionnaire
to
138
college
students
,
asking
them
to
report
the
number
of
text
messages
they
sent
per
day
(
in
four
categories
:
0
,
1-10
,
11-20
,
21+
messages
)
and
to
point
out
any
discomfort
they
felt
on
a
body
map
.
The research showed an association between the number of text messages sent per day and shoulder discomfort.
The
research
showed
an
association
between
the
number
of
text
messages
sent
per
day
and
shoulder
discomfort
.
The effect seemed to be particularly pronounced in males, though Gold says she doesn't know why that would be.
The
effect
seemed
to
be
particularly
pronounced
in
males
,
though
Gold
says
she
does
n't
know
why
that
would
be
.
"What we've seen so far is very similar to what we see with office workers who've spent most of their time at a computer," Gold said.
``
What
we
've
seen
so
far
is
very
similar
to
what
we
see
with
office
workers
who
've
spent
most
of
their
time
at
a
computer
,
''
Gold
said
.
However, Gold's study did not take account of the amount of time the people surveyed also spent typing on computers, which could be affecting the results.
However
,
Gold
's
study
did
not
take
account
of
the
amount
of
time
the
people
surveyed
also
spent
typing
on
computers
,
which
could
be
affecting
the
results
.
Texting long messages can be a pain in the neck. The repetitive action of working your fingers across the keyboard of your cell phone can cause some of the same chronic pain problems previously limited to those who'd spent a lifetime typing.  The possible connection is particularly worrying considering how much teens and young adults--and increasingly those in professional settings--are texting nowadays, said Judith Gold, who carried out one of the first studies on the potential connection.  Text messaging is a fairly new technology, Gold says, so this is a new area of research for those who study ergonomics. But "considering the similarities in body position, findings from research on overuse injuries from computers could be applicable" to texting.  "The way the body is positioned for texting - fixed shoulders and back with rapidly moving fingers - is similar to the position for typing on a computer," Gold explained. Previous research has found pain in the elbow connected with too much thumb texting.  To look for a broader link between texting and chronic pain, Gold and her colleagues sent a questionnaire to 138 college students, asking them to report the number of text messages they sent per day (in four categories: 0, 1-10, 11-20, 21+ messages) and to point out any discomfort they felt on a body map.  The research showed an association between the number of text messages sent per day and shoulder discomfort. The effect seemed to be particularly pronounced in males, though Gold says she doesn't know why that would be.  "What we've seen so far is very similar to what we see with office workers who've spent most of their time at a computer," Gold said. However, Gold's study did not take account of the amount of time the people surveyed also spent typing on computers, which could be affecting the results.