Staring at your wireless device could be hurting your spine

Do you have a pain in your neck? Your smartphone may be the culprit. 

A study in the November issue of the medical journal Surgical Technology International found that the billions of people in the world who use a mobile device, like a smartphone or tablet, are prone to poor posture due to the way they tilt their head to look at their device.

In a neutral position, an average adult head weighs 10 to 12 pounds. The study found that as the head tilts forward by various degrees, as it often does when checking or sending phone messages, the force on the neck increases to 27 pounds at 15 degrees, 40 pounds at 30 degrees, 49 pounds at 45 degrees and 60 pounds at 60 degrees.

The farther forward a person bends his head, the more stress is put on the spine, concluded the study’s author, New York City–based spine surgeon Kenneth Hansraj, M.D. This additional stress could lead to early wear, tear, degeneration, and possibly surgery, according to the study.

On average, people spend two to four hours each day reading or texting on their devices or reading a book. This translates to 700 to 1,400 hours a year of excess stress on the spine. 

While giving up your phone or books may not be an option, Hansraj suggests that people make an effort to look at their devices with a neutral spine and avoid spending hours a day hunched over a device.