Joint Health at Risk

Does your child spend too much time indoors playing video games or texting friends? Well it's time to get them to stop all the gaming around, because it can cause joint problems.

Young children and adolescents seem to be obsessed with technology these days. Many spend more time interacting with technology than they interact with people. Researchers are finding that gaming devices and texting may be harmful to joint health.

WARNING: Video games and texting are not good for your joints.

Yusuf Yazici, Professor of Rheumatology at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases studied the effects gaming devices and mobile phones had on joint pain in youngsters. There were two studies that included 257 students.

One study examined the impact of gaming devices and mobile phones while the other focused solely on mobile phones.

Yazici found that children who used Xbox or Gameboy systems reported having more pain than those using an iPhone. The more time spent on these devices, the more pain reported.

The other study of mobile phone texting showed that females were two times more likely to report pain than male students.

Yazici says, “The study has shown the negative impact that playing computer games and using mobile phones can have on the joints of young children, raising concerns about the health impact of modern technology later in life."

So, urge your kids to stop clicking and tapping and start moving.