Here is how you can avoid neck pain caused by your smartphone
Smart phones and gadgets have become such an important part of our lives. It has completely changed our lives and the way we work. Looking down to view your smartphone can be a pain in the neck; literally and figuratively.
You must have seen people straining their necks at an uncomfortable angle, shoulders hunched, squinting at the screen while they text. It's a posture most often associated with our smartphones, and it can lead to neck pain.
A lot of reports suggest that the spine is placed under stress when using the smartphone and in order to bring the device closer to your face, the back becomes rounded; shoulders rolled inward and head tilts forward.
Also Read | Poor connectivity forces kids to climb trees to study online in Haryana's Morni
This can further cause muscle tension and pain and then overtime can lead to the development of early osteoarthritis in the cervical spine. Here are a few ways you can avoid this posture pain.
Try to look forward
You should try to bring the device up to your eye level. It will minimize the bend in your neck and maintain optimal spine posture. If your device is below your eye level, look down with your eyes rather than your neck.
Posture check
Try to maintain the curve in your low back when sitting and using your device. If you need to use your device for a long period of time, try to find a supportive chair and a surface to rest your arms on. Avoid using your device to one side of the body with your neck rotated or cradling the phone between your ear and shoulder.
Take frequent breaks
You must take frequent small breaks to move or stretch your neck and back. Limit your device use to 20-minute sessions. Consider making a phone call rather than spending a long time texting.
Also Read | Here is how you can gain muscle instead of fat
Try Stretching
While you are on a micro-break, try one or all of these stretches:
Chin Tuck: It is pretty simple and you can do it anywhere. Draw your chin backwards. Hold for a couple seconds. Repeat.
Sitting Lumbar Roll: If you use a straight chair, you can use a lumbar roll to support the curve of the lower back. Then align your ears with your shoulders.
Scapular Retraction: This can be done sitting anywhere; you just need to rest your shoulders away from your ears. Then slowly pull your shoulder blades inwards. Hold for a couple seconds. Release and repeat.
-PTC News
