RSI from texting and 'iPod finger'

By redlined on Sunday, February 26th, 2006 comments

There have been previous warnings about iPod finger (we think this should be iPod thumb - excessive use of the scroll wheel) Virgin Mobile said this week that almost 4 million Brits suffered from text message related injuries.

The survey found that 38% of texters suffer from sore wrists and thumbs which equates 3.8million cases of RSI per year.

10% of those surveyed also sent over 100 texts a day. (which does sound a little excessive, get those RSI exercises done asap text addicts!)

Last October a 19 year old racked up a four thousand pound bill by sending over 700 texts a week

Virgin Mobile have setup a dedicated site @ http://www.practisesafetext.com/

Safe Text Exercises

Stop these exercises if you feel any pain otherwise you can do more harm than good.

In your texting hand:

• Tap each finger with the thumb of the same hand. Repeat five times.
• Pull your thumb firmly with the other hand. Repeat five times.
• Wrap an elastic band around the tips of fingers and thumb and open your hand against the resistance. Repeat 20 times.
• Palms down wrap an elastic band around each thumb and force apart. Repeat 20 times.
• Tap the palm and back of your hand on your thigh as quickly as you can. Repeat 20 times.
• Massage thumb web, back of forearm and front of forearm. Two minutes.
• Press and rub in a circular motion the painful nodules in those muscles. Thirty seconds for each nodule.
• Reach up high with both arms and shake your hands. Reach down low with both arms and shake. Repeat three times.
• Arms at 45 degrees, squeeze them behind you.
• If it still hurts after a week of doing exercises, wrap an ice pack on sore hand and arm parts. Do not put ice directly on the skin but wrap in a thin cloth or piece of kitchen roll. Ten minutes on, 10 minutes off. Repeat three times.

And some other advice

• If texting starts to hurt. Stop. Use the other hand or call instead.
• Vary the hand you use.
• Vary the digits you use.
• Don't text for more than a few minutes without a break.

We assume the person who wrote the above is an expert texter, have you tried texting with your 'wrong' hand?

'Millions suffer RSI' from text messaging' @ The Register via Gadget Madness