Smart phones and spines, a bad combo

Editors Note: To many long time Dripping residents, it’s no surprise that Kethley Physical Therapy has won “Best in Dripping” for a third year in a row. Owned by husband and wife physical therapists Jeremy and Erin Kethley, it has provided care and treatment for many locals over the past 18 years. In today’s guest column, Jeremy Kethley, PT, DPT, warns about the cumulative effect our electronic phones and our pad devices have on our bodies.

Chances are that you probably haven’t given much thought to how your neck and back are faring in the era of the smart phone, but studies show that you most certainly should.

It’s practically a reflex these days to pull out our smart phones when we’re standing in line, sitting at the airport or riding the subway. And while it’s great that we rarely need to venture beyond our pockets for entertainment, our bodies are beginning to retaliate – and mourn our pre-texting days.

So, what exactly are these contemporary conveniences doing to our bodies? A surgeon-led study published in Surgical Technology (a journal for surgeons) assessed what impact a surgeons posture during surgery had on their cervical spines—a posture similar to typical smart phone texter.

What they found was that the strain on the spine dramatically increases with each degree that our heads flex forward to stare at an object below eye level—as we do with our smart phones or pad devices. When a ten or twelve pound head (in neutral position) tilts forward 30 degrees, the weight on the spine climbs to a staggering 40 pounds, according to the study.

How pervasive of a problem is this? According to the study, the average person spends 14 to 28 hours each week with their heads tilted over a laptop, smart phone or similar device. Over the course of a year, that adds up to 700 to 1400 hours of strain and stress on our spines. As a result, the number of people dealing with headaches, achy necks and shoulders and other associated pain has skyrocketed.

Over time, this type of poor posture can have a cumulative effect, leading to spine degeneration, pinched nerves and muscle strains. Scheduling an appointment with a physical therapist can help people learn how to interact with their devices without harming their spines. The PT will prescribe an at-home program that includes strategies and exercises that focus on preserving the spine and preventing long-term damage.

Exercise is an important part of taking care of our spines as we age, but what we do when we’re not in motion matters, too. So next time you pick up your smart phone or curl up with your e-reader, do a quick check of your head and neck posture. Your body will thank you for years to come.

About Kethley Physical Therapy

Kethley Physical Therapy strives to provide the highest quality of outpatient physical therapy services to Dripping Springs, Driftwood, Wimberley, Blanco, Johnson City, and southwest Austin areas through its two locations, one in Dripping proper, and a second in the Sawyer Ranch Medical Tower.

Trained to address postural changes and functional declines, the physical therapists at Kethley Physical Therapy are well versed in treating this modern-day phenomenon, widely known as text neck.