HUNCHING over ipad, laptop can put an additional stress on the spine.
Overtime, this can eventually cause a permanent pain in the neck that
may eventually require an operation to correct.
No doubt, the use of smartphones have revolutionised the way many
things are done – banking, checking mails, communicating with friends,
accessing latest news, playing games and so on. But excessive use of
these technologies can cause a variety of problems, including neck and
back pain, discomfort and lost productivity.
In fact, experts warn that individuals who spend hours slouched on
the couch using their phones for texting, emailing, checking social
media or even gaming tend to experience the most discomfort.
This constant pain in the thumbs and wrists due to inflammation of
the tendons, a condition called De Quervains disease has been joined by
“Blackberry thumb” – repetitive strain injury caused by texting and
“iPad hand”, aches and pains caused by swiping and typing on a tablet.
Incidentally, more and more adolescents are heads down into their
phones and in a recent study published in Surgical Technology
International’s 25th edition, bending the head to look at the mobile
device held in the hands can put up to 60 pounds of pressure on the
neck.
The study was to measure the impact that the typical texting posture
—head tilted forward, shoulders drooping — is having on the body. It
found that although the head weighs between 10lb and 12lb, the effective
weight on the neck at a 15-degree angle is about 27lb. This rises to
60lb at 60 degrees.
The posture adopted when staring at smartphones can overtime generate
back and neck aches, like it happens when people work for long at their
table computers, said Professor Segun Ogunlade, a consultant
orthopaedic surgeon, University College Hospital, Ibadan.
Although, it is possible to ensure that the smartphone is placed at
the same level as the eye to reduce the strain that it could have on the
neck, he said that any abnormal posture the body maintains will over
time take its toll on the neck and back since the body is bent.
A normal standing position is facing forward and all the curves of
your neck and spine are in correct alignment. But when one drops the
chin on to the chest for a long period, it ends up stretching the whole
structure. Eventually, in conjunction with a sedentary lifestyle, it
could lead to serious consequences.
Professor Ogunlade, who cautioned that people need to be mindful of
their neck when using such technologies as smartphones and Ipads, added
that the problem was more with how they were handled when being used.
He declared: “They could have a way of causing mechanical neck and
back pain, but once you stop the habit, it will go but it would have
done the damage. In persons who have tendency to have degenerative neck
problems such as cervical spongilosis, this could make the problem
appear earlier or even worsen it.”
Professor Ogunlade, who remarked that many people are not aware that
any bad posture can affect their health, added that “two issues are
always considered when it comes to the use of mobile phones; exposure to
radiation and mechanical posture. You can imagine, many people could be
on their phones for one hour, bending down their neck and sending SMS,
reading or chatting.”
Moreover, outgoing registrar, Medical Rehabilitation Therapists
Board, Dr J. D Jogunola, stated many people take to different postures
while using smartphones and as such its effect on the neck and back
would vary from one person to the other.
According to Dr Jogunola, when a person’s posture is bad while on the
smartphone, it could affect the muscles of the neck, adding that many
professionals such as typists and secretaries end up with serious back
and neck problem due to the repetitive nature of their work and having
to seat for long while working on the computer or typewriter.
However, Dr Jogunola declared that the damage may be more pronounced
in those above 45 years compared with adolescents that tend to be more
flexible and active.
He advised people to use voice recognition and make phone calls
instead, and take regular breaks and alter their texting positions to
avoid problems.
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