Do You Have Selfie Elbow?

First came the “selfie,” a photograph that one takes of oneself, typically with a smartphone or webcam and shares it on social media. Then came “selfie elbow,” a real medical condition and you might have it!

Yes, that’s right, an actual medical condition brought on by endless and repetitive selfie taking. Similar to ‘tennis elbow’ or ‘golfer elbow,’ ‘selfie elbow’ is a condition in which a person experiences inflammation in the tendons that run along your arm from your hand to your elbow.

What Causes Selfie Elbow?

Keeping your arm raised for long periods to click selfies puts your elbow muscles under severe strain. Repeating the same action eventually makes the elbow muscles swell and puts pressure on the bone, leading to inflammation and excruciating pain.

Any abnormal posture is going to put bone and muscles under stress. Taking selfies involves an unusual arm position and repeating the act could be injurious. A growing number of young people are being plagued with the condition.

In fact, a bent elbow with the palm pointing inward is enough to put pressure on the elbow extensor muscles. It eventually leads to tendonitis which causes the swelling and pain.

What To Do If You Have Selfie Elbow?

If you think you may be experiencing the symptoms of selfie elbow, try icing your elbow and do certain exercises to help ease the soreness.

The problem with a lot of technology injuries is overuse. These types of injuries are hardly new, for years medical professionals have seen patients with tech-related conditions.

The bottom line is that computers and smartphones can put us in unnatural positions for long periods of time. That can lead to serious problems – particularly if those hunched over screens and keyboards don’t exercise or stretch their bodies to counteract those effects.

If you are experiencing pain in your elbow, you can call Ochsner Therapy & Wellness at 504-842-4348.