Phones & Posture - the Undeniable Link
The constant use of mobile phones is no longer a young person phenomenon. In the clinic we are seeing a wide range of patients coming in with neck and shoulder pain that is exacerbated by poor posture.
The importance of good posture when working is something that is regularly debated, and most of us are aware of what we need to do. A whole industry has been built around good ergonomics and posture, from people dedicated to giving postural advice and doing work station assessments to office chairs and standing desks that come in a myriad of sizes, shapes and styles. We all care about work posture!
But what about outside of work?
How many of us come home and spend another hour or two in the evening slouched over our mobile phone, tablet or laptop? And what about how many times we look at our mobile during the day?
This causes Tech-Neck - the forward head position and hump at the top of the back which we tend to adopt when looking down at a phone. This position causes the muscles and ligaments of your neck to carry the majority of the weight of your head.
If you are more upright and you keep your head in line with your shoulders then the neck vertebrae and discs can help share the load with the soft tissues - meaning less strain.
If you hold your phone at an angle so it makes you lower your head by 60 degrees it puts approximately 27kg (60lb) of weight through your spine. Imagine doing that for 2-4 hours per day!
We appreciate that none of us can do without our phones, tablets and kindles and we all have to spend time on them. But try to be aware of your posture, and don't use your phone to do extended computer work.
Here are a few tips for good posture when using your phone or tablet:
Keep your head upright
Your ears should be in line with your shoulders
Shoulder blades should be down and retracted - roll your shoulders backwards to get in the right position
Take regular breaks and do some gentle stretching of your neck and shoulders to encourage your neck back in line with your shoulders
Oh... and as an after thought...
We have recently seen an increasing number of patients with pain in their hands and thumbs. This can also be related to the repetitive use of your mobile. Do you hold your phone in the same hand all the time? If so, try swapping to the opposite hand occasionally, or grip less tightly to decrease the strain on your hands.