Physical Therapy School Spotlight:
Got Cell Phone Elbow? Time to Hang Up!

Move over carpal tunnel syndrome. Cubital tunnel syndrome is making headway in the exam rooms of orthopedic specialists where, depending on your habits, you might hear it called "cell phone elbow."

Just when ergonomics caught up with our bad habits at the keyboard, cell phones came along in mass quantities. As CNNhealth.com reports, people who talk on their cell phone a lot can end up spending significant time with their elbow bent for too long. This can cause damage to nerves in the forearm and hand from being properly stretched.

One key symptom of "cell phone elbow"? Tingling, or even numbness, in your pinkie and ring fingers. What do you do about it? Switch hands. A simple behavioral change like this one can alleviate the numbness and prevent a severe case of cubital tunnel syndrome, which might require surgery.

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Cubital tunnel syndrome is not a condition that plagues only cell phone users. You can incur it by engaging in any activity in which you bend your elbow tighter than 90 degrees for long periods of time. People who type at an improperly adjusted work station, habitually lean on their elbows or sleep with their elbows bent too tightly could develop this syndrome.

Physical therapy schools teach you about the causes of—and treatments for—such injuries. You can then educate your patients while you treat them, and they can help you spread the word. Because being aware of your habits and changing the bad ones are keys to avoiding the symptoms of cubital tunnel syndrome before they happen.

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Related Reading

• Becoming a Certified Specialist in Physical Therapy

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