It’s something you do hundreds of times per day, probably without even thinking twice about it. But it can have serious consequences on your musculoskeletal health. Texting (and reading emails, surfing the internet, playing Candy Crush…) on your phone is becoming a serious health concern. The posture of looking down at your device for hours per day can increase the weight of shear to your upper spine by up to 60 pounds. Just a 15 degree angle increases the force on your upper neck to 27 pounds! That’s the equivalent of carrying a 2 year old child on your head every day! It’s also eye-opening to break it down by the numbers:
2-4 hours per day reading/interacting with your phone = 700-1400 hours per year of increased stress to your neck!
In a study by Dr Kenneth Hansraj at the National Library of Medicine, he writes, “these stresses may lead to early wear, tear, degeneration, and possible surgeries.” Over time, this increased force on your upper neck can lead to permanent tissue changes that may cause pain and dysfunction, not to mention increase your risk of nerve or disc injury. It’s crucial for adults and children alike to be aware of this poor posture and it’s effects on your health and wellness.
To offset the stress to your neck, try holding your device at eye level, or at least at a level that does not require you to crane your neck forward. Try to walk and read with proper posture, keeping your ears over your shoulders. Also, squeezing your shoulder blades back and down will help to maintain a neutral spine. There’s even an app to help! The TextNeck app (Android only) will alert you with a light, letting you know when your phone drops too low.
However you do it, avoid looking down at your device for long periods of time and practice good posture! If you have questions or would like some suggestions on how to improve your posture, ask your physical therapist!
Check out Dr. Hansraj’s paper here. A good Washington Post article on the topic can be found here.
