Welcome back to our posture series! This week, we’ll be discussing ways to decrease pain when on your phone. Do you find yourself looking like the girl in Figure 1 when you’re on your phone? It’s not surprising your body is crying out in pain.
These days, it’s hard not for us to be on our phone. Our phone has everything we need right at our fingertips….all the time. It provides us with immediate results and instant gratification. It allows us to be tapped in constantly. On the other hand, our bodies are not built to be on our phones all the time. Being on your phone frequently encourages a head forward posture, rounded shoulders, hunched upper back, and closing of your rib cage - AKA bad posture.
Effects of Bad Posture
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- Headaches
- Shoulder pain
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Misalignment of spine
- Disc compression
- Muscle weakness
- Poor sleep
- Poor digestion
- Poor circulation
- Loss of lung capacity
- Jaw pain
Number Don't Lie
In 2020, the number of smartphone users worldwide is estimated to reach 3.5 billion. 88% of teenagers aged 15-19 in Canada own and use smartphones where 45% reported checking their phone at least every 30 minutes. Looking at the numbers for adults aged 25-44 years in Canada, 97% own a smartphone, where 52% of these adults reported checking their phone at least every 30 minutes. These numbers are huge! It’s not surprising we are seeing more people with bad posture suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Symptoms of the Neck
When your head falls forward from being on your phone all the time, it directly affects your spine.
The normal weight of our head is approximately 7% of our body weight. This works out to be ~10-12 lbs. When we have proper posture, this is the weight felt by our body to hold our head up. However, looking at Figure 2, when our head falls forward only 15 degrees, this more than doubles the weight felt by our body to hold our head up. As the angle deepens, the heavier our head feels. When your head rests at an angle of 60 degrees of neck flexion (which is the angle typically adopted when people are on their phones), our body registers the weight of our head to be a whopping 60 lbs! It’s not surprising our neck and shoulders are constantly sore and achy.
Prevention is key!
Management
Prevention is key when it comes to bad posture from being on your phone all the time.
- Take frequent breaks
- Avoid staying in one posture for long periods - your body loves movement!
- Avoid highly repetitive movements such as typing/swiping to prevent overuse
- Position device to reduce stress on your neck, arms, and upper back - avoid having to look down at your device all the time (Figure 3 on the right)
- Avoid holding a heavy device for prolonged periods
Rehab
Early intervention is always recommended as it shortens the time for recovery. However, if you're finding your body to be in chronic pain from always being on your devices, seeking treatment from a Physiotherapist will help immensely. There’s a reason we have the saying, “better late than never.”
Rehabilitation is very effective in treating the stress injury resulting from constantly being on your devices. Things you can expect at your appointment may include (but are not limited to):
- Joint mobilization
- Soft tissue work
- Fascial manipulation
- Dry needling (acupuncture, intramuscular stimulation/IMS)
- Education on ergonomics and lifestyle changes
- Tailored home exercise program made just for you to create long term benefits
- Posture retraining
Still have more questions on how to decrease pain when being on your phone? Are you looking for treatment to speed up your rate of recovery from being on your devices all the time? Come in for an assessment and treatment with one of our experienced physiotherapists at our Vancouver location. We look forward to meeting you!
With care,
Therapy X Collective
