Your smartphone may be a source of pain

Back pain is any pain along the back, most especially along the spine and the waist. Though it affects people of all ages, it is a common complaint among adults between the ages of 40-60.

However, experts warn that times have changed, as more younger people now complain of back ache. They blame the increasing prevalence of the condition among younger adults between the ages of 15- 30 on the emergence of devices such as tablets, computers and of course smart phones.

According to orthopaedic specialist, Dr. Chris Omolola, these gadgets are equipped with various social media and networking platforms which encourage habits such as long hours of texting, chatting, pinging- activities which compromise the position of the spine and some joints.

Omolola states that research shows that more than 40 per cent of young adults currently complaining of back, neck or shoulder pain, do so because of the long hours they spend hunched over smart phones, tablets and other gadgets sending texts, pinging and chatting with friends and messing around with phone applications.

“I see more young people with back pain. Not mild pain but severe back pain that they cannot sleep well or concentrate due to the pain. When they come, the first thing I ask them is: ‘How many hours do you spend on your phone chatting or pinging?’ I ask them if they are active on Facebook or Twitter. If they say so, I know that is most likely where the pain is coming from.

“While you are doing these activities , you are most likely to be slouching or hunched over, a poor posture that strains the nerves and muscles of the spine, the shoulder and neck. After a while, the ligaments between your joints begin to suffer. And because it has no physical symptoms , you pay little or no attention to it. Before you know, it is a constant pain in your back. “

Also, British chiropactor( bone specialist), Tim Hutchell, notes that the head-down position that most people assume when they look at phones and iPads strains the muscles in the neck and the back. This pain, he adds, extends all the way down to the spine and lower back,

“The head down position is especially bad for you if you are using them for hours because your body will eventually start to adopt this hunched position. Your posture gets worse every day with their prolonged use or will I say abuse,’ he said.

Adults too are not exempted from the effects of technology. Omolola says that 40 per cent of the causes of back and neck pain among adults is usually work-related.

Omolola states that they suffer back , neck and shoulder pain due to their sitting position and sedentary habits at work.

He notes that everyday activities like sitting at the computer for long, which most desk jobs in the 21st century require, tell on the spine and the bones of the back.

Omolola says, “ Most adults working in offices in this 21st century spend more than six hours sitting with their computer, and some spend another three staring, slouching at other screens like the television, making nine hours. That is how long the average adult spends hunched over or slouched in front of a screen each day.

“People with these lifestyles will have poor spine health because they are likely to do these activities with a poor posture. It is a sedentary posture that does nothing for the spine.”

He attributes other causes of back pain to work-related stress, lack of physical exercise and poor choice of foot wear.

Technology is not going away any time soon; that is for sure. So what can you do to save your poor spine from aches?

Experts say a three-minute exercise routine every three hours for those that work at the computer could help improve their posture and prevent back pain.

For those who just have to sit for long at computers, they advise that they should adjust their seats so their computer monitor is at the eye level, and the arms and knees are bent at a 90-degree angle, with the feet resting on the floor.

In the short term, for temporary relief from back, neck or shoulder pain ask your pharmacist to recommend an over-the-counter painkiller.

But on the long run, here are some tips that can help to prevent gadget-related pain in the neck, shoulder and the back.

- If you’re sitting down while using your mobile, smartphone or laptop, change your position on a regular basis and stretch your arms, shrug your shoulders and move your fingers around to keep the muscles more relaxed (avoid sitting in the same position for more than 40 minutes).

- If you need to carry a laptop, get a school bag or the normal rucksack laptop case and carry it on both shoulders. Adjust the straps so that the bag is held close to your back.

- Don’t carry too many items in your bag all the time – only pack what you need each day.