How Sweet Is a BlackBerry?

Chris Falcone

Paris Hilton has one. So does Jay-Z. Every corporate bigwig carries one and even supplies them to their employees. And of course, now every college student in America craves one.

The BlackBerry is one of the newest rages in American culture. Celebrity endorsed, new editions and customized versions are popping up constantly. What most users don’t know is that these miniscule memory filled machines can inflict physical harm, in the form of a syndrome dubbed the “BlackBerry Thumb.”

On January 25, The American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) issued a national alert warning users of handheld electronic about the possibility of getting Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other ailments from heavy usage of these devices. According to Stacey Doyon, vice president of ASHT, there haven’t been many serious cases yet since the devices in question are relatively new. But she is aware they’re being used more frequently in colleges and universities throughout the country. And in time, Doyon believes this will lead to a significant problem.  

“We initially began researching this growing problem about a year ago,” she said. “Before that we had a similar problem with text messaging and prior to that it was the keyboard.”

“Just as the keyboard and the computer led to a lot of concern about repetitive stress of typing, this is the next wave of concern, with the use of the thumb on a handheld device,” said Keith Raskin, M.D. from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the New York University Medical Center, in a CNN.com article.

The problem with the BlackBerry, Sidekick and similar devices is the tendency to try and multitask. By holding the BlackBerry in one hand and using the other hand for something else there is a tendency to put all the pressure on the thumbs. Doyon says it’s important to use all fingers to hold the device. What differentiates these devices from others such as the iPod is the regularity with which they are used.

“With the BlackBerry you are continually putting information into it,” Doyon said. “You are repeating the same steps over and over again.”

Research In Motion, the Canadian manufacturer of the BlackBerry, projects that by the end of the year over three million will be sold.

Mark Jeshiva, Hofstra University alumni, has had his BlackBerry, a device supplied by his job, since August 2004. Handed out to employees as a way to keep in contact, Jeshiav dislikes this new responsibility. Although he admits that he doesn’t use his device nearly as much as others, he says that it is mainly because he doesn’t want people keeping tabs on him when he leaves work. But he has heard of the problems of overuse and also tries to minimize use for that reason.

“It just doesn’t feel like a natural motion, most of the time you’re only using your thumbs,” said Jeshiva, now a senior business analyst for the global banking division for Citigroup. “Look at it like this, if you type all day at work on a computer and than the rest of the night on your BlackBerry you’re going from one act to another. That can’t be good.”

Be that as it may, Doyon does not feel that it’s something that can be pinned on the manufacturers of these products. Rather, it’s more a matter of personal responsibility. She references her own PDA, equipped with rubber siding. The importance of the rubber siding is that it helps alleviate some of the added pressure on your grip. This pressure is normally felt more by users with metal siding.

“Really the manufacturers are just responding to the demands of society,” she said. “To prevent this problem we need to take responsibility ourselves.”

Doyon said one of her own patients even used his BlackBerry throughout their whole session one time.

“He didn’t put it down the whole time,” she said.

According to an article in The Washington Post workplace injuries have risen in white-collar jobs with the increased use of mobile communications technology. A study done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that ergonomic disorders are the fastest growing category of work related injuries of the reports it has seen. In 1981, 18 percent of all illnesses reported were repetitive strain injuries, known as RSI. By 1992, the figure had skyrocketed to 52 percent.

Jeshiva knows first hand about the pain associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. His mother, Maria, suffered from it and eventually had surgery to alleviate the pain. After working as a manicurist for over 35 years, she began experiencing unbearable pain in both of her hands. After her operation she was forced to decrease her workload and now wears braces at night. She still on occasion feels pain but that is something that some patients with this syndrome must learn to live with.

Doyon notes this isn’t a huge problem yet, but with people constantly on these devices throughout the day it can become one.

“Just like any other kind of activity that you do,” she said. “Your muscles need a break.”