The iHunch, text neck or the smartphone slump. They are all ways to describe the effect that our digital lives are having on our posture. Our smartphone usage may not only be causing us to experience neck pain, but may also be damaging our postures too. It’s all from the hunched, downward-looking position we have when use our smart devices.
Of course, bad posture from looking down at our phones can also be caused by other activities, such as reading books or washing the dishes. However, the difference between reading books and using our phones is that we often spend long periods of time in this position when using a phone or tablet, in comparison to other activities. One study found that 79% of people aged 18-44 have their smartphone on them at all times, and only spend 2 hours of their waking day spent without their phone on hand. This means that we have more opportunities to look down at our phones than we do at a book or the dirty dishes.
Our heads weigh around 10-12 pounds, which the muscles and tendons in our necks are supposed to support when it’s in a neutral position (upright, looking forward). When you look down at your iPhone to text your friends, scroll through Instagram, or check up on the latest news, you are placing around 50-60 pounds of force on your neck, which it is not designed to withstand for long periods of time. Hours spent hunched over our iPhone or iPad can cause us to develop repetitive strain injury in our neck, shoulder and back muscles.
What are the symptoms?
Text neck normally begins as a small niggle. You might experience a mild ache, stiffness or sharp pain in your neck or upper back. As the condition worsens, you might experience acute upper back muscle strain, shoulder pain and tightness as well as muscle spasms. If not addressed, this could lead to an unnaturally forward head position and hunched shoulders, a position rather comically named the iHunch. Further repercussions of the iHunch include severe pain and reduced mobility in the neck, upper back and shoulders.
Why is this a problem?
One of the major concerns of excessive smartphone usage is the effect of the smartphone slump on our spines. There is a growing concern of musculoskeletal problems associated with prolonged use of mobile devices. A sustained forward neck posture caused by excessive smartphone usage can cause further problems for the structure of your spine and as a consequence, respiratory dysfunction.
This is not only a worry for adults but also the next generation of text neck sufferers. The children of today have grown up around technology. In fact, 21% of children aged three and four have their own tablet, while 25% of children aged six and under have their own smartphone. It’s no wonder that spine surgeons have been seeing an increase in the number of younger patients with premature neck and back pain. Growing children with still-developing spines are spending hours looking down at an iPad or iPhone watching TV shows, playing games or messaging their friends. Although the long-term consequences of the smartphone slump on growing and developing spines are still unclear, excessive usage could be causing permanent damage to children’s cervical spines.
What’s the solution?
The most obvious solution to reducing the strain we are putting on our spines is to spend less time on our smart devices. But in an increasingly digitalised world, it can be difficult to cut your phone out of your life completely. So instead of going cold turkey on your smartphone, an easier solution is to only spend short bursts of time on your mobile. Taking regular breaks from the downward-looking head position will help to prevent you from developing the injuries we’ve mentioned.
Another solution is to change the position at which you are viewing your device. Any screen – whether it’s a phone, tablet, laptop or TV – should ideally be at eye level. This keeps your spine in a natural position, without having to look down or up. The screen should also be directly in front of you to prevent twisting your neck and spine for elongated periods of time to view the screen.
Posture-friendly props such as our range of iPhone and iPad stands help to maintain a more natural posture while using your devices. Our table and desk stand helps to keep your head in a more ergonomic position while at the office or working from home. The adjustable floor stand is perfect for keeping your head in a comfortable position while binging on Netflix, as it can be used either on the sofa or in bed. If you’re a fidgeter and want an iPad stand that can be easily moved, our IPad cushion stand with its adjustable strap can be moved to a comfortable viewing position. To find out more, explore our range of phone and tablet stands or get in touch with our team to find out more.