Virgin urges users to practise safe text

10 per cent of the UK population admit to sending up to 100 texts a day

Virgin Mobile has launched a website which explains how to avoid repetitive strain injury (RSI) from sending too many text messages. 

The company claims that excessive mobile phone use causes more than 3.8 million cases of RSI every year.

Over 12 per cent of the population send up to 20 texts a day, and 10 per cent admit to sending up to 100 texts a day. A total of 93.5 million texts are sent every day in the UK.

"Chiropractors recognise that text messaging regularly over a long periods of time can cause repetitive strain which may cause short-term and long-term injuries," said Dr Matthew Bennett, a spokesman for the British Chiropractic Association.

"When text messaging, the tendency is to keep your shoulders and upper arms tense. This cuts down the circulation to the forearm, when it actually needs a greater than normal blood flow to achieve the consistent movements of the thumbs and fingers."

Dr Bennett has designed a series of exercises to mitigate the effects of long-term texting.

These include wrapping an elastic band around the tips of fingers and thumb and opening the hand against the resistance, and regularly massaging the thumb web and the back and front of the forearms.

International RSI Day (slogan: 'Because work shouldn't hurt') is on 28 February.

• Virgin Mobile Practise Safe Text website