Your Smartphone and Neck Pain

This photo does a pretty good job at illustrating a complex physics problem: your 10 lb head becomes much heavier with every degree of static neck flexion. The additional load will be distributed to the lower neck, upper midback, and shoulder ridge.

This is a common problem for modern humans as our technology has become smaller and more portable. This is even worse for patients who already have an existing postural tendency to anterior neck shifting (as is common with forward cervical sprains). Time will tell but the data is already looking worrisome for our youngsters who are failing to develop the appropriate neck curve because of how much time they spend looking down at their cell phones and tablets.

When using a smartphone, prop up the hand holding the phone over your crossed leg, and armrest, or anything that will hold the phone closer to eye level. Same applies to using a tablet. For laptops , set up the whole unit on a stand at eye level and use a blue tooth or USB connected keyboard that you can place at elbow level.