By Allen Sun

In recent years, with the changing way of life and the fast pace of work, a new kind of disease is invading unconsciously our lives which is broadly recognized as the “urban disease". The advancement of technology like the invention of high-tech computers and tablets has brought us a new and more convenient way of life. However, it also brings us some ailments that we had never heard of, such as the “neck pain" and the “computer hands".

“Growing bone spur…is the worst situation"
The “neck pain", also known as the “Cervical-Spondylosis" in the medical field, is a disorder in which there is abnormal wear on the cartilage and bones of the neck. It is a common cause of chronic neck pain and unconsciously affecting our daily lives in a bad way.

Smartphones and tablets have become parts of our lives, leaving our necks completely no time to rest which causes muscle tension, as we are “overindulged" in them. According to a research conducted by the Hong Kong Medical Association in 2010, over 70 % of Hong Kong people have experienced neck pain. “Many students said that they have neck pain and some of them even had experienced paralysis in their upper body," Tin Kit Peng, a staff from the Campus Health Care Service, said. And she believes that they have a certain degree of cervical vertebra strain. “Growing bone spur in the cervical vertebra is the worst situation," said Tin. However, she mentioned that strengthening the neck muscles through exercises and cooperating with certain medications if necessary are the ways to prevent and to ease the pain of the neck.

“…felt ‘extreme’ pain in her hands"
Using tablets and smartphones also causes the “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" – the “computer hands", which is a condition that causes inflammation of the joints of the hand and wrist. When the joints are affected, activities of daily living can be difficult. Holding a tablet or a phone with a palm for too long increases the finger joints pressure and it leads to inflammation. Lei Chong Mei, a Year 4 student from the University of Macau, is always busy writing assignments with a computer. After a day of non-stop typing, she felt “extreme" pain in her hands. Her situation has been diagnosed as the “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome", in which a patient experiences numbness and pain in the fingers and palms. Tin said when we are using a tablet, our fingers constantly perform repetitive movements, and it causes hand-muscle injuries. However, “‘Computer hand’ can actually be prevented," said Tin. Keeping our hands in a proper position when we are using computer mouse and the most important point is to always give a break to our fingers when using tablets or smartphones.

Prevention is the best “medicine"
If you want to get rid of the pain caused by either the “neck pain" or the “computer hands", Tin reminded us that, the early prevention is the best “medicine" to those inconspicuous diseases. She also said that strengthening bones and muscles are exactly what we need. All in all, we should increase the amount of exercise and exposure to natural sunlight to prevent calcium from leaching out. Besides, the government should also consider building more outskirts line trails to encourage citizens’ interest in exercise and sport, she said.