Could your Smartphone be hurting more than just your wallet?
Yesterday, January, 19th, 2012, the CBS show This Morning, did a piece on the potential harm smartphones have on the spinal column. From playing online games to checking work emails, these phones are a convenient must-have to a hectic and social life, but they shouldn’t cause your body damage. If you're reading this article from your smartphone, hold up your phone and sit up straight!
The global leader in measurement and information, Nielsen, recently reported that nearly 44 percent of Americans currently own a smartphone. This percentage has doubled in the past two years ago. Which also reflects a probable rise in neck and back pain, but why?
CBS interviewed Dr. Alton Barron, an orthopedic surgeon at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, who commented, “you might describe it better as the fall of the smart phones, because it's the fall of our bodies as a result … " Dr. Barron reports an increase in posture issues, attributed he believes by using smartphones, which requires users to bend their neck downward.
Barron went on to say, “We are straining our muscles, both in our necks and upper backs and our shoulders to accommodate the farthest position and then we spend so long doing it.” Did he just describe you?
Look Forward to Avoid Spine Pain
A CBS correspondent explained a section from the book Physiology of the Joints, which focuses on what gravity does to the cervical spine when it is extended in a downward position. The reporter noted that the average human head weighs around ten pounds, and every inch the neck extends forward is comparable to adding an additional ten pounds of pressure. So, if a person leans his or her neck forward by 3 inches, the cervical spine has to endure an additonal 30 pounds of pressure.
Avoid Smartphone Back Pain
From now on try to practice sitting up straight while you play Angry Birds or as you scour the web for hours on end from your Blackberry or iPhone! Remember good posture at all times during the day, especially if you are already a back or neck pain sufferer. That's a good tip for a healthy spine, not to mention the money it may save you in medical expenses.
Want to watch the CBS video, Smartphones Tied to Posture Problems?
