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Too Much Sex Can Cause Wrist Pain
Thursday, January 21, 2010

Wrist pain is often blamed on excessive computer use or working heavy machinery but a controversial new U.K. report suggested too much sex is responsible, The Sun reported Thursday.

Repetitive movements during lovemaking put extra weight on the wrists, said a top medical practitioner, which can cause carpal tunnel syndrome – one of the most common types of wrist problem in Britain.

“Sexual intercourse can explain the increase in the overall incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome seen in recent years, since it is the most widely practised activity that uses both hands at the same time,” said Dr. John Zenian, writing in the journal Medical Hypotheses.

The syndrome, which results in pain and numbness from trapped nerves, affects as many as one person in 20 and is among the most prevalent forms of repetitive strain injury, which causes 5.4 million sick days every year.

Physiotherapist Sammy Margo said: “This is entirely plausible. Research does show that we are having a lot more sex than we used to and people are trying different positions.

“The missionary position puts a lot of pressure on the wrists of the individual on top. That can result in an over-straining and stretching and even tearing of tissue, which could contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome.”

Increases in the number of sufferers coincided with the launch of new drugs such as Viagra, according to the research.

“The increase of carpal tunnel syndrome in England that affected the middle-aged and the elderly can be attributed to the introduction of erectile dysfunction therapy in England in the late nineties,” Dobson said.

The obesity epidemic could also have fueled the rise due to extra weight placed on the wrists, claimed the study.