For those addicted to mobile phones, whether it’s browsing social media, chatting, or playing games heavily without protection, doctors have warned that prolonged periods of looking down at a mobile phone can not only cause eye problems but also affect the neck, shoulders, and spine, potentially leading to Text Neck Syndrome.

What is Text Neck Syndrome?

Neck pain is a group of symptoms including muscle pain in the neck, shoulders, and upper back, and may also include degeneration of the bones, joints, or intervertebral discs in the neck. These problems often result from repetitive neck injuries caused by prolonged use of mobile phones or other electronic devices.

What are the symptoms of Text Neck Syndrome?

Chronic, cumulative pain in the neck, shoulders, and upper back may occur. In severe cases, there may be numbness, radiating pain from the neck to the hands, or weakness in the arms and hands. These symptoms may temporarily improve with medication or physical therapy, but they will return when the patient resumes using the mobile phone in the same way.

How much trouble can Text Neck Syndrome cause?

Text Neck Syndrome varies in severity, ranging from mild, involving inflammation of the muscles in the neck, shoulders, and shoulder blades, to more severe problems such as degeneration of the cervical spine or intervertebral discs, leading to spinal cord or nerve root compression in the neck, resulting in numbness or weakness in the arms and hands.

Postures that affect the neck.

The reason why prolonged daily mobile phone use can cause Text Neck Syndrome is because while using a mobile phone, the body is in an improper posture: the head is tilted forward, the shoulders are hunched, and the back is bent.

Prevention methods

Preventing Text Neck Syndrome can be achieved by adjusting habits when using mobile phones or other electronic devices, including posture and usage duration. We should strive to keep our neck as straight as possible, avoiding hunching our backs and shoulders while using our phones, and take breaks to change posture periodically during prolonged use.