"iPod thumb" afflicting an appendage near you?

Apparently, everyone's favorite little white (or black, or pink, or green..) device could be ushering in "a really serious problem" in the form of thumb-related repetitive stress injury (RSI). Carl Irwin from the British Chiropractic Association warns: "The action needed to move the wheel on an iPod is totally unnatural and effectively separates the joint in the thumb every time you use it."

I found this in an article at Scotsman.com, and it goes on to warn about the impending health risks and injuries we could all succumb to as a result of consumer electronics in general, but focuses on the iPod due to its "totally unnatural" motion and the fact it's just so darn popular.

The article strikes me as both humorously over-dramatic, yet also somewhat relevant. Yes, carpal tunnel, tendinitis and RSI are serious issues and nothing to laugh at. However, I wonder if this British Chiropractic Association merely figured that slapping a "dangerous threat" label on consumer goodies like the iPod was a good way to snag their 15 seconds.

Guess I was happy to oblige.
 
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