Is Your Phone Making Your Spine Health Worse?

By Stepy Kamei

Anywhere you go these days, you'll more than likely see at least one person using their cell phone. Whether they're making a phone call, texting, or checking their email, a person's cell phone has almost become an additional appendage in our society. It's no doubt that the increased use of cell phones has allowed our society to become more connected and has vastly increased the speed at which we communicate. However, there are some noticeable downsides to cell phone usage as well -- especially when it's excessive in nature. For instance, using a cell phone for prolonged periods of time on a daily basis may lead to symptoms of chronic aches and pains throughout the body due to its negative impact on the posturing of the spinal column. You only need to focus on making a few simple adjustments in order to improve this problem for yourself. 

What Happens to Your Body With Cell Phone Usage?

The major issue with cell phone usage isn't necessarily using the phone, but how often we place our bodies in unnatural positions in order to do so. Often, we jut out our chins, lower our necks, and hunch our shoulders in order to see the screen of a phone. This unnatural posture places quite a lot of strain on the spine, as it is not used to holding up the head and neck with that much pressure pulling it down. Spending significant amounts of time in this position can cause chronic pain and stiffness in the area. It can also lead to joint restriction and misalignments of the spinal column, which are known as vertebral subluxations. These restrictions and subluxations often lead to muscle soreness, headaches, and even troubles with sleeping and digestion.

Set Up Some Time Limits

If you have to be reminded to take a break from your phone, start setting alarms for yourself! Have them go off every 10 minutes during times when you expect to be heavily glued to your phone. When the alarms go off, take at least a minute to put your phone down and stretch out your neck, arms, and shoulders. 

Schedule Phone-Free Time

When planning out your day, try to find an hour or two in which you can reasonably go without checking your phone for that entire time period. Use the time instead to take a walk, catch up with a friend face-to-face, or read a book. 

To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.