"Cell Phone Elbow" is Apparently Now a Real Medical Diagnosis

"Cell Phone Elbow," once perhaps a joking diagnosis for the sore elbow one can get from holding a cell phone while performing other tasks, has moved from mere jest to an actual medical diagnosis. As with all things medical, of course, there is an official medical term for the affliction – in medical circles, it is known as "cubital tunnel syndrome." What, exactly, are the symptoms of cell phone elbow, and how does one come by the affliction? Well, cell phone elbow is marked by numbness, tingling and pain in the forearm and hand. This is caused by compression of the ulnar nerve, which runs along the lower arm and over the bony portion of the elbow.

Apparently, talking for long periods of time on a cell phone keeps one’s elbow bent for longer than is comfortable, causing compression of the nerve. Said Dr. Peter Evans, the director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Hand and Upper Extremity Center, "Repetitive, sustained stretching of the nerve is like stepping on a garden hose. With the hose, you’re blocking the flow of water. With the elbow, you’re blocking the blood flow to the nerve, which causes it to misfire and short circuit."

Among the first symptoms is numbness or tingling in the forearm or hand, which then progresses to loss of strength and mobility in the muscles in the area. There is no word on how many of the 3.3 billion worldwide cell phone users have the affliction, but Heather Turkopp, an occupational therapist at William Beaumont Hospital in Michigan, noted, "Cubital tunnel is the second most common syndrome we see."