Turns out, hours spent hunched over your smartphone or BlackBerry may be wreaking havoc on your posture.
According to a report on CBS This Morning on Thursday, Dr. Alton Barron, an orthopedic surgeon at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, says your daily tech obsession could be damaging your neck and back.
"We are straining our muscles both in our necks and our upper backs and our shoulders to accommodate for this position," Barron said on the show. "And then we spend so long doing it."
The average human head weighs 10 to 12 pounds (4.5 to 5.5 kg), and the neck and shoulders are not made to support its weight for long stretches. For every inch (2.5 cm) you lean your head forward, the strain on the neck increases ten-fold, according to the report. Hunching three inches (7.62 cm) forward is like adding an extra 30 pounds (13.6 kg) to your head.
A couple of years ago, a study was presented at the American Public Health Association showing that neck and shoulder pain reported by college students could be attributed to their cell phone habits, WebMD reported.
If you're a dedicated texter, be sure to take frequent breaks, and stretch your head, neck, and back. Experts also suggest holding your phone higher to keep your neck in alignment with your spine.
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