"Selfie elbow?" "Text neck?" Medical language changing as smartphone use creates new issues

Sometimes, technology can be a pain in the neck. And then sometimes, it can be an actual pain in the neck. 

So much so that new medical terminology is arising as people flock to the Internet to figure out the aches and pains caused by all those smartphones, tablets, computers, and gaming systems. 

Heard of "selfie elbow?" How about "text neck?" "Computer eyes?" These are just a few of the trending ailments popping up on Google searches across the United States. 

Imagine MD, a direct primary care medical company based in Chicago, conducted a study that examined Google search trends to determine the most frequently-searched ailments caused by tech devices in the United States and the real medical issues behind them.  

The results revealed that there is quite a bit of new medical terminology floating across the World Wide Web. 

"We’ve been thinking about a number of things that are trending, and there was some laughing about some of the names of this stuff," said Andy Kearns, creative director of Digital Third Coast, which helped conduct the study. "But we realized as funny as the names are … what’s interesting about it is it's such a young and new phenomenon that people don’t have a universal language to identify this stuff."

The study's findings listed the top five tech ailments discovered through Google trends. Dr. Alex Lickerman, a medical doctor who founded Imagine MD, consulted on the findings and translated them to actual medical diagnoses. He also weighed in on how to fix these pesky problems ignited by repetitive use of technology. 

The findings, listed in order based on the frequency of searches, include:  

1. Texting thumb, gamer's thumb or smartphone thumb.

This is when tendons in the thumb or at the base of the thumb become inflamed. It's caused by repetitive use of the thumb when gripping phones or gaming devices. The symptoms are pain, swelling or a sticking sensation when the thumb is in motion. 

The formal diagnosis is known as De Quervatein's tenosynovitis or stenosing tenosynovitis.   

Lickerman said the only way to cure this ailment is to give your thumb a rest.  "Try to remain below the threshold at which your thumbs or fingers feel actual pain," he said.

2. Selfie elbow, cellphone elbow or numb pinky finger

This affliction is caused when pressure is applied to the ulnar nerve, which runs through the elbow and various tendons in the lower arm. Lickerman said this is the same nerve that jolts when you "hit your funny bone." Selfie elbow is caused by holding arms up and bent for extended periods of time. Think holding up a tablet or phone toward your chest or face, or extending a phone in the air for a selfie 

Symptoms generally include pain, weakness and numbness or tingling in the ring or pinky fingers. 

Lickerman said this is formally diagnosed as cubital tunnel syndrome or ulnar tunnel syndrome. 

The fix is to "stop bending your elbows." Prop up your tablet or phone instead of constantly holding it. Lickerman said he has had to go as far as putting elbow splints on people who suffer from this condition. 

3. Text neck, tech neck or phone neck

Text next is when poor posture from leaning toward or over tech devices or scrunching a phone to your ear causes stress on the spine and surrounding muscles. Symptoms include chronic pain and tightness in the neck and back muscles. 

Its formal diagnosis? Well, it's pretty simple: It's called poor posture, said Lickerman. 

"This is a much more preventable one," said Lickerman. "As long as you can keep your neck in a neutral position and keep your posture, you won't have an issue. We have a tendency to lean our head forward because the skull and the brain weigh a bit and we bend forward.. and we put extra strain on them and it becomes painful." 

Fix this issue by sitting up straight with good posture, or put on a soft collar to keep your neck straight and the weight of your head off the neck, he said. 

4. Computer eyes, eye fatigue or computer eye strain

This is when the flashing, glare and contrast from tech devices strain the eyes. It's caused when a person stares at a screen for too long. Symptoms are headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes and neck and shoulder pain. 

The formal diagnosis is computer vision syndrome. 

Lickerman said this particular ailment is the one he sees in patients the least, as the eyes are generally used to reading and focusing. That and screen technology has improved to a point where flashing isn't as common. 

The solution? Take a break. 

5. Mouse shoulder, computer shoulder or gorilla arm syndrome

This ailment is when someone hunches or rounds their shoulders while using a tech device paired with repetitive use of a mouse or touch screen. Symptoms are tightness in neck and back muscles, chronic pain and inflammation. 

The formal diagnosis is a repetitive strain injury.  

Lickerman said most of these issues could be considered "repetitive strain injuries" and the key to avoiding them is to adjust habits, find new ways to operate tech devices and, well, give it all a rest periodically. Use a speakerphone on a cellphone, find ergonomic products that adjust how a product is used and try not to push a body part to the point of pain. 

And if you do get one of these tech issues? Lickerman's rule of thumb is not only to rest the body part until it recovers, but to add on an additional week. 

"You actually have to listen to your body," he said. "Pain is this fantastic guide that tells you when your body is still irritated."

The research team did find a few other conditions that popped up in trends including: 

• Nomophobia, which is the fear of being without a smartphone or a signal. It similar to the popular term "FOMO," which stands for fear of missing out.
• Phantom vibration syndrome, where people think their phone is vibrating even when it's not. 
• Smartphone pinky, which is a temporary deformation or strain of a pinky finger from constantly using it to hold up a phone. 

Our phones are "like a magnet" said Lickerman, so it's no surprise these real medical issues are popping up, especially when social interactions and information sources are rooted in technology. It's just a matter of keeping the use of phones and technology in check, and listening to the body when enough is enough. 

"The key with repetitive injuries is they are repetitive.. you want to give your muscles and joints as much of a break in the habitual use of them as you can," he said. 

Contact trends reporter and columnist Jessica Saggio at jsaggio@floridatoday.com, 321-242-3664 or follow her on Twitter @JessicaJSaggio.