Effect of Smartphone Addiction on Proprioception of Thumb and Index finger in the Smartphone Addicts

Palak Vakil; Anjali Puntambekar

Volume : IX, Issue : V, May - 2020

Effect of Smartphone Addiction on Proprioception of Thumb and Index finger in the Smartphone Addicts

Palak Vakil, Anjali Puntambekar

Abstract :

Background: Smartphone has been an essential part of everyone�s life. In young adults, due to their developing musculoskeletal structures and they are growing tendency to use smartphones, these exposures are causing repetitive strain injuries in their fingers and thumb. As a consequence of the injury to the musculotendinous tissues, there is disruption of the joint proprioceptors located at the soft tissues of a joint, thus may lead to reduced joint position sense. Method: 58 young adults within the age group 19–34 years were categorized into 2 groups, smartphone addicts and non–addicts using Smartphone addiction scale–short version. The proprioception of both the hands was assessed using pinch aperture proprioception. Conclusion: The result showed that the dominant hand of smartphone addicts showed the highest measure of degree of error (3.22�1.72), which may lead to impaired fine activities with the pinch grip.