Tips to prevent neck pain caused by your smartphone

new study warns that as many as the world's 3.4 billion smartphone users are at risk of suffering from a new condition called ‘text neck syndrome’. As most people spend hours on their phone a day, this term associated with the damage and pain in the neck resulting from excessive watching or texting on-hand devices is increasingly common, especially among youngsters.

According to the researchers at Harvard Medical Health, 7 out of 10 people will experience neck aches at some point in their lives. When smartphone users read or write text messages, they typically bend or twist their neck sideways and these bad postures put uneven pressure on the soft tissues around the spine, which can lead to pain and discomfort, say experts.

Symptoms of text neck syndrome
Coined by Dr DL Fishman, a US chiropractor, the term ‘text neck’ is now a growing lifestyle problem. Apart from neck pain, the condition can also lead to shoulder pain, upper back pain, headaches, and increased thoracic kyphosis, besides neck pain. The most common symptoms of ‘text neck’ are neck pain, soreness, and stiffness. Other symptoms include headaches, dizziness, radiating pain in the shoulders and arms, herniated discs, etc.


How to avoid neck pain while using mobile phones
How to avoid neck pain while using mobile phones

While the best strategy to prevent neck pain is to avoid long hours of phone usage, here are a few steps you can take while using smartphones or any hand-held devices to reduce your risk of developing text neck.

Limit use of phone and other electronics.
Take frequent small breaks to move or stretch your neck and pain.
Check your posture, ensuring that you’re using the device in a way that reduces stresses on the head and neck- like holding your phone at eye level so you don’t bend or tilt your head down.
Do not watch or read from your phone for more than 30 minutes at a time.
High repetitions of movements like prolonged typing or swiping should be avoided.
If you need to speak on phone on a daily basis, try to use a hands-free set.
As per Physiopedia, rehabilitation may be effective in treating stress injury caused due to text neck. In extreme cases, pain medication, or acupuncture may be recommended.