SELFIE ELBOW

As you all must have read my previous article which was based on the damage to our neck because of the excessive use of technology, I am adding one more tech-induced ailment to my list which is the ‘SELFIE ELBOW’. Yes, you got it right. As the name suggests, ‘selfie elbow’ is also a modern tech-induced ailment which is affecting a lot of selfie lovers these days. People like me and you, who do not have any sports background or record of being indulged in a sport like tennis or golf which requires repeated use of extended arm and repetitive jerk on the elbow are having problems which resembles the symptoms of the same. Each time you click a picture, you put yourself in a position where your arm is fully extended, or sometimes the elbow is a little bent and the position is maintain until you get the picture of your choice and you are keeping a firm grip on your phone to keep holding it and to hit a click just when you get that ‘right frame’. It can be counted as one of the repetitive strain injuries. So taking correct selfies has now become a pain in the elbow!

Unknowingly, ‘selfie elbow’ has become a real matter of concern now. What effects are being caused on the body due to this habit, let’s take a closer look at the condition.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CONDITION:

Recently, the award winning US journalist and NBC’s Today show host Hoda Kotb, who is famous for her social media picture sharing on Instagram has been diagnosed with a condition of ‘selfie elbow’, however, the condition is not so commonly spread till now but the chances are there for a speedy travel of this technology based disorder throughout the world. The common joints involved in the condition are the shoulder joint, elbow joint and the wrist joint simultaneously helping the hand to attain a perfect frame for the picture. But, most of the strain is caused in the elbow. This is because you extend (straightened) your elbow in an extremely strained position. Or sometimes you keep it a bit flexed (bent). The posture causes repetitive strain and overuse of the surrounding structures at the elbow which is the target joint. Most of the work is done by elbow in this position but a grip maintained at the hand holding the phone is worsening the condition. Due to repetitive motion, there are microruptures around the elbow and the tendon running through the elbow joint is inflamed causing pain and discomfort. The condition may not necessarily be an acute injury to the tendon but this may also be a degenerative changes that has been occurring around the structures of the elbow not only because of your habit of clicking selfies but it may also be any type of repeated movement you are performing at your home while cooking or gardening or playing tennis or golf. Hence, this may be a re-occurrence of a condition that was unknowingly persisting in your body. There can be swelling observed around the elbow joint’s extensor origin as well, because most of the work in this position is carried out by the extensor compartment of the muscles in the elbow and the strain is caused to the tendinous muscle attachments. Once the condition has occurred, minimum amount of load or work carried out by the elbow will cause a lot of pain, this is because the muscles of the elbow has already weakened. And the damage has already taken place which has yet not been cured. Eventually, there occurs a loss of function.

ANATOMY OF THE ELBOW JOINT:

Elbow joint is a hinge joint, formed between the humerus in the upper arm and radius and ulna in the lower arm.

There are seven major muscles which helps to perform various movements at the elbow joint:

THE FLEXOR GROUP: (3 MUSCLES)

·         Biceps brachii: flexion of the elbow i.e. bringing the upper and the lower arm together and supination i.e. turning the palm anteriorly.

·         Brachialis: this is the primary flexor muscle at the elbow joint.

·         Brachioradialis: flexion at the elbow joint and is found mainly in the forearm, enables flexion at the elbow in a mid-prone position.

THE EXTENSOR GROUP: (2 MUSCLES)

·         Triceps brachii: runs posteriorly to the arm and enables extension at the elbow joint i.e moving the upper and the lower arm away from each other while increasing the angle at the elbow joint.

·         Anconeus: it is a small muscle at the elbow joint which contributes in the elbow extension along with the tricep.

THE ROTATORS: (2 MUSCLES)

·         Pronator teres: runs obliquely in the elbow joint and performs the action of pronation of the arm i.e. turning the arm posteriorly

·         Supinator: the muscle enabales the action of supination at the elbow joint i.e. turning the arm anteriorly.

There are a few more muscles in the forearm that crosses the elbow joint to move the wrist and the fingers.

THE FLEXOR GROUP:

·         Flexor carpi radialis

·         Flexor carpi ulnaris

·         Palmaris longus

·         Flexor digitorum profundus

All these muscles originate from the medial epicondyle of the elbow and helps in the making a fist by the fingers (contraction of the palm) and flexion (bending) at the wrist joint.

THE EXTENSOR GROUP:

·         Extensor carpi radialis longus

·         Extensor carpi radialis brevis

·         Extensor digitorum

All these muscles originates from the lateral epicondyle of the elbow joint and helps to open the fist and extend the wrist.

THE C6 ROOT MOTOR GROUP AND THE C7 ROOT MOTOR GROUP ARE THE MAJORLY INVOLVED MUSCLE GROUPS AND MOVEMENTS INVOLVED IN SLEFIE ELBOW:

C6 MYOTOMES:

Ø  SHOULDER ADDUCTION

Ø  ELBOW FLEXION

Ø  FOREARM SUPINATION

C7 MYOTOMES:

Ø  ELBOW EXTENSION

Ø  FOREARM PRONATION

Ø  WRIST EXTENSION

Ø  THUMB, FINGER EXTENSION

SYMPTOMS OF THE SELFIE ELBOW:

·         Burning pain around elbow

·         Pain while performing actions at elbow and wrist

·         Limitation of motion at elbow and wrist

·         Stiffness in the arm (more in morning)

·         Muscle fatigue

HOW TO GET RID OF THE CONDITION?

·         REST:

Give rest to your arm. Avoid clicking a lot of selfies. Use a selfie stick (not too much), use both hands while holding your phone during a click, or switch hands to avoid overuse.

·         ICE:

To reduce inflammatory symptoms in the area. Ice is only prescribed when there is a visible and palpable swelling around the area. But as I mentioned the condition may be a chronic one as well, there, ice won’t work.

So here, it becomes the priority to diagnose first, whether the condition is an acute or a chronic one.

·         MEDICATION:

NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce the inflammation and its associated symptoms i.e. pain, swelling, warmth, redness.

ANALGESICS to reduce pain.

·         PHYSIOTHERAPY:

Perform full range active movement of the elbow.

flexion and extension

supination and pronation

Stretch the muscles. The common stretches are:

Biceps stretch:

Triceps stretch:

Strengthen the weakened muscles around the elbow joint:

Add resistance to the arm in the form of weight cuffs, dumbbells, therabands, medicine balls and perform the following actions:

-elbow extension and flexion:

Wrist flexion:

Wrist extension:

·         BRACES AND SUPPORT:

Use elbow caps to support the elbow joint while in pain.

Braces should be used only for a short span of time, as soon as you begin to observe improvement in the condition you should stop using braces, as it might support the elbow while in pain but simultaneously it causes the muscles to forget their action enhancing the muscle weakness and also it promotes immobility to some extent.