Thumbs at risk from texting

REGINA, Saskatchewan, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Too much texting is putting baby boomers' thumbs at risk for a bad case of osteoarthritis, a spokeswoman for Canada's Arthritis Society said.

Kelly Pierson of the society's Saskatchewan division told Postmedia News 20 percent of Canadians are expected to develop arthritis in the next 20 years.

And with the increasing popularity of texting, thumbs are especially vulnerable because digits are prone to arthritis, Pierson said.

"I have two kids who text constantly and I really feel that overuse of the joint is abusing the joint," she said. "I think it will come back to haunt them down the road."

The society predicts an increase in the incidence of arthritis as the bulge of the baby-boomer generation moves through its 50s, the prime time for arthritis to develop.