PREVALENCE OF DEVELOPING IPHONE ELBOW IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS USING SMARTPHONE

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The study is intended to identify the prevalence of developing
iphone Elbow in young undergraduate physical therapy students
using Smartphone.
STUDY DESIGN
Study design is a cross-sectional observational survey of DPT students
METHODOLOGY
206 adolescent students aged 15-28 years, using smart phones
frequently or handheld gadgets were asked to fill a questionnaire to
analyze the frequency of using smart phones and the activities
performed on the devices. The intensity of pain associated with
Smartphone usage was identified using VAS scale. COZEN test was
performed for diagnosis of Epicondylitis.
RESULT
Results revealed that the frequency of Smartphone usage is higher
between 20 and 21 years of age. Interestingly, the results obtained
in this study shows that 67.5% students make calls and 60.7% use
video chatting while message reading was found to be 43.7% and
sending message is 39.8%. Putting down notes and task orientation is
40%. Comparatively the typing activities of muscles were found to
be high. On the VAS scale 35% of participants sometimes feel pain
and 10.2% often complain of pain with uneasiness, demonstrating
decreased muscular strength. However, regarding posture, youngsters
who use sitting posture are 39.3% and those who prefer supine
lying posture are 32% while those who never use Smartphone in
prone lying are 46.1% and those who rarely use their device in prone
are 25.7%. Cozen test was found to be negative in 80.6% and only
19.4% test results turned out to be positive.

KEYWORDS
Tennis Elbow, lateral epicodylitis, epicondylalgia, smart phones, MSK
injuries and youngsters, overuse injuries.