Don't Look Down at Your Cell Phone

The recent study showing that looking down at your cell phone when texting can help to put a lot of pressure on your neck is another reminder that people need to practice good posture, a New York orthopedic spine surgeon says.

Whether it be looking down using your tablet, reading a book or typing on a computer, poor posture over time can cause a lot of neck, shoulder and back pain, says Rohit Verma, MD, orthopedic spine surgeon at the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

“The secondary problem is how does this impact the discs,” Dr. Verma says. “So when you’re in this position, you’re putting an excess amount of pressure on the discs and that can sometimes cause disc degeneration, herniations, things like that. Those aren’t as common as somebody having chronic neck and shoulder pain associated with this, which is all muscular in nature.”

With issues such as herniated discs, people can feel numbness and tingling down their arms.
Dr. Verma suggests that people try to practice more perfect posture whenever possible, including having an ergonomic desk at work, holding their tablet or phone at eye level, et cetera.

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