Study: Excessive Texting Could Injure Your Spine
NEW YORK, NY (CBS) – Back pain from texting? It might be a reality, says one New York doctor.
Dr. Kenneth Hansraj, Chief of Spine Surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, conducted the research, which used a model of the cervical spine and calculated the force put on the spine when the head and neck were bent forward at different angles.
What he found is that frequent stress put on the spine while bending forward to text or look at a smartphone can cause early wear, tear and even degeneration that could require surgery.
"People spend an average of two to four hours a day with their heads tilted over reading and texting on their smart phones and devices. Cumulatively this is 700 to 1400 hours a year of excess stresses seen about the cervical spine," Dr. Hansraj writes.
He says that, while it's practically impossible to avoid using your phone or other technology that requires hunching over, users should try to maintain good posture (a "neutral spine") while texting and avoid spending hours a day hunched over their devices.
To view the study, click here: Spine Study