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Despite the growing number of complaints caused by the use of electronic devices, many people are not taking the initiative to combat this problem.
A typical scene on public transport: most people are now looking at their smartphones. They all tilt their heads down so far that their chins rest on their chests. People who look at their cell phones during work hours often unconsciously lower their gaze to the screen. The discomfort is not immediately noticeable, but it gradually builds up over time. Sports physician, traumatologist, and orthopedist Martin Reschl explains in an interview with “Heute” which pains can only manifest themselves after years and which exercises can help against “cell phone neck.”
Terms such as “cell phone neck” or “tech neck” are becoming increasingly common on social media, yet many users are unaware of what this phenomenon truly entails. “When you hear the term ‘cell phone neck,’ you can assume that it refers to chronic poor posture and strain on the cervical spine,” explains the Viennese orthopedist.
“As the name suggests, poor posture occurs when people constantly look at their cell phones. This causes many people to remain in a forward-bent position. This posture causes certain forces to exert heavy weight on the cervical spine,” adds Reschl. Some people even feel the first symptoms a few weeks or months later, and often don’t think anything of it despite the pain.
The traumatologist emphasizes that many people vastly underestimate the forces acting on the head when it is bent forward. “You can imagine it like this: our head usually weighs four to six kilograms. When you are in an upright position, looking straight ahead, your muscles are well-tensed. Structures such as intervertebral discs and ligaments are not heavily strained during this time. If the head is bent forward by 10 to 15 degrees, the cervical spine is subjected to forces of 10 to 12 kilograms. If the chin is tilted forward by 30 to 40 degrees, the cervical vertebrae are subjected to a load of up to 20 kilograms. If you tilt your chin toward your sternum, you put a load of 30 to 35 kilograms on your cervical spine,” says Reschl.
If you remain in an unnatural position for only a short period, your body can adapt accordingly. If you don’t look up for a long time, you can expect to experience pain from overexertion, which can have far-reaching consequences. The sports physician recommends changing position every ten minutes. It doesn’t matter whether you are sitting or standing: if you change position regularly, your body will not be overloaded.
Anyone who thinks that a hunched back is the only long-term consequence of “cell phone neck” is mistaken. “If passive structures of the body, such as intervertebral discs, ligaments, and nerves, are overloaded, this can lead to herniated discs or premature wear of the small vertebral joints in the cervical spine. This restricts movement and causes severe pain. The discomfort makes it difficult to cope with everyday life and triggers emotions such as frustration. It can also lead to nerve constriction, nerve pain, and tingling in the hands. That’s quite a list of problems that result from it,” warns the orthopedist.
As with many ailments, exercise is the best medicine. For the orthopedist, the most important thing is to integrate small, targeted exercises into everyday life. If the muscles are activated regularly, they can be strengthened accordingly.
The sports doctor recommends three simple exercises that help to strengthen the deep muscles of the cervical spine: “The first exercise is to draw a figure eight in the air with the tip of your nose. Another exercise that strengthens the muscles is to look straight ahead and find a point on the wall. Move your eyes to the right and left without moving your head. Normally, the head always wants to turn in the direction your eyes are looking. This exercise signals the muscles to tense up. For the last exercise, press your chin back with two fingers. This pushes the head back into a normal upright position.” Reschl also recommends that such exercises be done preventively.
In this age, in which children and teenagers are confronted with the digital world at an early age, the traumatologist advocates open dialogue: “Much of it starts in childhood. Children often have more resources and compensation mechanisms than adults, but the problem of chronic complaints begins at an early age and only becomes apparent ten to 20 years later.”
“Adults are role models here. We must act as role models as adults. That is the key. It is essential to educate children about the risks associated with prolonged use of cell phones. This can prevent children from suffering from chronic pain and complaints later in life,” Reschl adds.
- source: heute.at/picture: canva.com
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