LIFE+ Blog

It’s no secret that we as a society are spending more and more time on our phones and looking down. Smartphones have made our lives easier by making information accessible at our fingertips. However, phones are causing us to have more neck and back pain. The easiest way to make sure that you don’t end up at your physical therapist with neck pain there are some easy tips for your posture while using your phone.

First let’s look at some anatomy and understand some forces behind what happens when you look down. The research shows that even a small change in looking down makes your muscles work much harder. Overtime, this will cause things in your neck and back to tighten up and lead to pain. This tension into your muscles can lead to pain, headaches, poor posture, and affect your vision.

Here are some things to keep in mind while using your phone to prevent having neck pain:

• Try and keep your phone level with your eyes; adjust how you are sitting, or lay down to support your head while looking at your phone
• Reduce how long you are staring at your phone, or at least take quick breaks and move your neck
• Keep your shoulders back and down to help reduce strain of muscles running up into your neck
• Get your eyes checked; poor eyesight can impact your posture and how you are sitting to see your phone

Just because you follow these tips doesn’t guarantee you won’t have neck pain it will just decrease the likelihood you will get it. If you are already experiencing pain feel free to stop by for a free consultation with one of our therapists!