High-Tech Elbow Pain: Computers, Cellphones, and Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

U.S.News & World Report—May 13, 2009   

It may begin with aching, tingling, numbness, or burning in your hand, forearm, and elbow. Perhaps the elbow pain and other symptoms seem worse when you're talking on your cellphone or using a computer. The symptoms may indicate cubital tunnel syndrome, also referred to as "cellphone elbow." It's a problem that doctors say they're seeing more of as people become more reliant on technology, including cellphones and computers.

"The elbow isn't meant to be hyperflexed for 10, 15, 20 minutes at a time," says Sabrina Strickland, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. So it's important to pay attention. Likewise, it's easy to get engrossed in work at your computer and not realize that you're harming your elbow in the process. The goal is to position your desk and chair in a way that allows your elbows to be bent at an angle that is less than 90 degrees.

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