There’s A New Health Risk Associated With Selfies

Yikes.

When I first saw the term “selfie wrist” I knew exactly what they were talking about. Is that sad? Maybe. I’m willing to bet most people know what “selfie wrist” is. It’s the way you kinda bend your wrist in order to take a good group selfie. We’ve all done it. Well, most of us have. I think my dad might be one of the only people on the planet who hasn’t ever taken an actual selfie.

Anyway, according to this, doctors in San Francisco are warning people about the new health risks associated with selfies. One of those is, yes, the “selfie wrist.” It’s a form of carpal tunnel.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Watch my interview with Denise Dador of abc.com on my Facebook page Dr. Levi Harrison. Some doctors are treating people for “ Selfie Wrist” a form of carpal tunnel that results from taking too many pictures. #orthopedicsurgeon #wristgame #thefitnessdoctor #denisedador #glendalecalifornia #gamersofinstagram #carpoltunnel #wristselfie #abc.com #orthopedic #thegamersdoctor #gamers #drleviharrison #thedrlevishow

A post shared by Dr. Levi Harrison (@drleviharrison) on Dec 20, 2018 at 2:51pm PST

Tina Choi, 29, works in digital media promotion.

For her clients, she says a successful selfie can raise their profile and income.

Choi believes selfies are an effective way of sharing a sense of yourself.

“Its really about telling a story. Where you’re at. What you’re doing. How active you are,” Choi said.

But all that selfie taking started causing tingling in her fingers and wrist and later discomfort. After a few months she said it felt like a sharp pain in the corner of her wrist and it actually would prevent her from working.

Choi is one of a growing number of patients that orthopedic surgeon Dr. Levi Harrison is treating for a condition he calls “Selfie Wrist.”

“It’s a form of carpal tunnel,” Harrison said. “What happens is the nerve becomes inflamed and angry.”

Harrison said the problem begins when patients constantly hyper-flex their wrist inwards in a rush to capture that perfect angle.

For the record, I’ve never experienced selfie wrist. Apparently, Kim Kardashian suffers from the condition, which isn’t surprising in the least.

I’d imagine you’d have to take at least, what? 100 selfies a day to really start to develop “selfie wrist”? I only find myself using the selfie wrist position when I’m trying to take group photos with my sisters or friends, and that’s only once in a while. So…I think I’m in the clear.

If you’re suffering from this condition, there’s good news. There are exercises you can do. Rotate your wrists “around the world” each way 20 times.

You can also try what he calls “flappers” and the “queen’s wave.”

Apparently, those exercises helped Tina. I’m cracking up at how the source put this:

“After a few weeks, Tina’s pain improved. Now she takes much safer selfies.”

She takes much safer selfies. This is where we’re at, people. This is WHERE. WE’RE. AT.

h/t ABC7