IF YOU HAVE A GOOD QUESTION, E
MAIL IT AT WCCO.COM/LINKS.
A CONDITION DOCTORS USED TO
ONLY SEE IN FACTORY WORKERS IS
BECOMING MORE WIDESPREAD.
REPETIVE MOVEMENTS OF TEXTING
LED DOCTORS TO DUB SMART PHONE
THUMB, IT IS TENDONITIS, THE
TENDON THAT BLENDS AND FLEXES
OUR THUMB BECOMING INFLAMED.
MORE AND MORE PATIENTS COMPLAIN
ABOUT PAIN IN THEIR THUMB.
WCCO'S ANGELA DAVIS SPOKE WITH
THE RESEARCHER AT THE MAYO
CLINIC ON THE HAZARDS OF TEXTING
TOO MUCH.
Reporter: THEY HAVE BECOME
OUR CONSTANT COMPANIONS.
WHAT WE LOVINGLY EMBRACE AS WE
TAKE A WALK, OR EVEN TAKE A
BREAK BY A LAKE.
OUR SMART PHONES.
PHONE IS A HUGE PART OF MY
LIFE.
I DO EVERYTHING FROM TEXTING TO
E MAILS, SOCIAL MEDIA,
EVERYTHING.
Reporter: TEXTING HAS BECOME
AN ALL-DAY, ALL-NIGHT ACTIVITY
FOR MANY OF US, GIVING OUR
THUMBS QUITE A WORK OUT.
THE REPETITIVE MOTION APPEARS TO
BE LEADING TO CASES OF
TENDANTITIS AS PEOPLE TAP OUT
THEIR THOUGHTS ON THEIR SMART
PHONES.
ONE HYPOTHESIS IS THAT, YOU
KNOW, THE JOINTS GET LOOSE AND
LAX AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THE
BONES KIND OF MOVE DIFFERENTLY
THAN THEY WOULD IN A NORMAL
SITUATION.
Reporter: DR. KRISTEN IS A
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER AT THE MAYO
CLINIC IN ROCHESTER, FOR THE
LAST 7 YEARS, SHE AND A TEAM OF
DOCTORS HAVE BEEN LOOKING INTO
WHAT IS CALLED SMART PHONE
THUMB, SHE SAYS THE MOVEMENT
REQUIRE OUR THUMBS TO MAKE AS WE
HOLD OUR PHONES ARE AWKWARD.
IT IS A MOVEMENT THAT
REQUIRES SOME FORCE THROUGH THE
THUMB, SO WHEN YOU PRESS ON YOUR
PHONE, YOU ARE INTERACTING WITH
THE PHONE, IT IS NOT JUST A FREE
MOVEMENT IN SPACE.
Reporter: IN 2010 THEY BEGAN
USING DYNAMIC ENGINEERING
TECHNIQUE TO WATCH THE BONES OF
A HEALTHY PATIENT MOVE TO
DOCUMENT WHAT IS NORMAL AND
COMPARE IT WITH WHAT IS NOT.
OUR HYPOTHESIS IS ABNORMAL
MOTION OF BONES IN THE THUMB
COULD BE CAUSING BANE ON SET AND
EVENTUALLY OSTEO-- PAIN ON SET
AND EVENTUALLY OSTIO ARTHRITIS.
Reporter: COULD IT LEAD TO
MORE CASES OF OSTEOARTHRITIS IN
THE THUMB?
THERE IS A HIGH INCIDENT AND
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE AREN'T
ENCOURAGING THAT ONSET BY OUR
DAILY ACTIVITIES.
Reporter: ANOTHER CONCERN
THEY WANT TO ADDRESS IS THE
IMPACT OF ALL THIS THUMB
MOVEMENT ON CHILDREN.
WHAT WILL THIS MEAN FOR THEM
LATER IN LIFE?
IT IS UNKNOWN.
A LONG EXPOSURE OVER YOUR
LIFETIME, WE REALLY DON'T
UNDERSTAND WHY ADULTS GET PAIN
AND SO CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, IF
YOU START EARLIER, YOU MAY GET
PAIN YOUNGER.
Reporter: HERE IS SOME ADVICE
TO PREVENT PROBLEMS, DOCTORS SAY
YOU CAN START BY GIVING YOUR
THUMBS A BREAK.
MIX UP YOUR METHOD.
USE YOUR FOREFINGER TO PECK THE
SCREEN OR USE YOUR VOICE TO
DICTATE YOUR MESSAGE.
CAN YOU HAVE MOM GIVE ME A
CALL?
Reporter: YOU CAN PERFORM
DAILY STRETCHING EXERCISES WITH
YOUR WRISTS AND FINGERS TO KEEP
YOUR TENDONS LIMBER.
HOW OFTEN ARE WE USING
JOINTS?
HOW OFTEN ARE WE RESTING THEM?
YOU KNOW, ARE WE TAKING PERIODIC
RESTS?
OR EXPOSING CONTINUALLY OVER THE
COURSE OF THE DAY?
Reporter: IT MAKES SENSE, BUT
STILL THIS COULD BE A TOUGH
HABIT TO BREAK.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL
CHANGE PEOPLE'S HABITS OR
ADDICTION TO THEIR PHONE, BUT IT
IS NICE TO KNOW THAT WE ARE
ALREADY THINKING ABOUT AHEAD
THAT.
Reporter: ANGELA DAVIS, WCCO
4 NEWS.
ANGELA SAYS THE STUDY IS ON
GOING AND RESEARCHERS HAVE NOT
REACHED CONCLUSIONS.
HOWEVER, WHAT DOCTORS DO KNOW
ABOUT OSTEOARTHRITIS IS IN THE
THUMB IS IT OCCURS MORE IN WOMEN
THAN MEN, IF YOU WANT ADVICE ON
