Pain when using tablets, smart phones and laptops?
Have you started coming across phrases such as ‘text neck’, ‘iPad Hand’ and iPhone thumb, and wondered what on earth these are all about?
You guessed it! These are all ‘conditions’ associated with spending too much time on our smartphones, laptops and tablets. So all this new technology developed to make our life easier is also causing our bodies some problems! Pain in the neck, hands and thumbs to name just a few.
When you use your tablets or smart phones for extended periods of time , your head is tilted forward putting almost 6 times more weight put onto your cervical spine, (neck and uper back) than if you are standing / sitting up right looking ahead.
This is a huge amount of weight and if you are hunched over, the weight is concentrated on a small number of vertebrae rather than being distributed across the whole of your back.
Smartphones and tablets have become the norm and are very much part of our daily lives now, but just be wary of how long you’re spending staring down at those screens. This also applies if you work for long periods sitting at a desk, especially in front of a laptop or computer screen.
Ensure that you take regular breaks, at least every 20 minutes or so, to stand up away from your work station and have a stretch and some deep breaths – you could save yourself from some longer term damage.
