Plague of Pokéthumb
APP SPURS HAND WOES
SOME POKÉMON Go players have gotta catch a doctor.
Since the game’s debut earlier this summer, players have been so immersed in catching imaginary Pokémon via real-world maps, there have been regular reports of car accidents, tripping and walking into things.
Now the latest casualty of the craze is the hand and fingers, which are vulnerable to all the swiping, tapping and flicking that players are doing.
They’ve been complaining about aches and pains in their wrists and thumbs all over social media.
Some call it “Pokémonitis;” others, “Pokémon wrist” or “Pokéthumb.” Either way, it hurts. One player griped online about “the pins-and-needles pain in your hand from playing on your phone too long.” Another tweeted, “My right thumb hurts (and) I think I’m ready to admit I’ve been playing too much Pokémon.”
Experts say the game is making an already touchy situation much worse because the repetitive motion injury from playing Pokémon worsens damage that many people are already suffering due to texting, swiping and gaming on other smartphone apps.
“Oh, we’ve had a few Pokémon Go casualties already,” said Dr. Rob Wiluti of Professional Physical Therapy on Long Island, who sometimes treats agitation in the thumb with a cortisone shot. “We see a lot of repetitive stress injuries due to holding smartphones.”
In fact, Millennials’ hand grips, especially in men, are getting weaker thanks to smartphone overuse, according to a new study published in the Journal of Hand Therapy.
Researchers measured grip strength and pinch strength, or how much you can push your thumb into your pointer finger, and found that men today ages 20 to 34 are weaker than men the same age in 1985.
Women from 20 to 30 were also found to be weaker, although female Millennial “outliers” ages 30 to 34 were not as affected — likely because they don’t have the same tech habits as their male counterparts.
“Our hands and fingers, wrists and all of the joints in the hands are getting more use than they did in days when we spoke more,” said Dr. Orly Avitzur, a neurologist and medical director at Consumer Reports.
Experts suggest anti-inflammatory meds, stretching and ice to treat Pokéthumb. Or players can switch to using their index finger to swipe and tap. It tolerates the activity better than the thumb does. But the best medicine is simply putting the phone down.
“There is nothing to replace rest,” said Dr. Avitzur. “Your body is telling you that you need to take a break and stop the inflammation from reoccuring.”