Selfie Elbow
Image: purewow.com
As a physical therapist,occupational therapist and nutritionist, and the director of the Walker Physical Therapy and Pain Center, Dr. Grace Walker has extensive experience treating conditions like spinal pain, hand pain, and sports injuries. One relatively new repetitive strain injury treated by Dr. Grace Walker and her team of physical therapists is “selfie elbow,” arm pain from taking too many selfies.
Though it may sound silly at first, selfie elbow can be a serious and painful condition similar to tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. The injury is caused by the repetitive strain we put on our arm by taking too many selfies. If you love taking selfies, consider following these three tips to minimize your chances of incurring this injury.
1. Switch Hands – Since selfie elbow is caused by repeatedly taking selfies using the same arm, simply switching hands may be enough to prevent the injury. Next time you take a selfie, give your dominant arm a break and take the selfie with your other hand.
2. Elbow Lock – Refrain from locking your elbow when you take your selfies. Combined with clicking the picture button on your phone, fully extending your elbow increases the tension and strain placed on your arm, which may lead to small muscle tears.
3. Selfie Sticks – Selfie sticks may provide the best solution, as they prevent the need to extend your arm at all. These extending sticks, which clip onto your camera, make it easier to get the perfect selfie angle without placing any strain on your elbow or arm.
For an appointment with an expert Physical Therapist call Walker Physical therapy and Pain Center at 714-997-5518.
Grace Walker | Physical Therapist 