Looking down at your phone is like hanging a 30-pound watermelon around your neck

Look at your phone while eating, while walking, in the office, on the subway...

Without a mobile phone, I don’t know the way out, I can’t pay for things, and I feel empty inside…

It is said that it feels good to scroll through your phone, and it feels good all the time, but your cervical spine will feel "uncomfortable".

Because everyone is "head-down" when browsing their phones, but this fixed action of lowering the head puts a lot of pressure on the cervical spine.

The neck is crushed by the watermelon. When our body is upright and we do not lower our head, the weight of our head is about 5 to 6 kilograms.

However, when you lower your head and lean forward, as the angle of your head increases, the force on your neck muscles and joints will gradually increase, and the pressure on your neck will also increase dramatically.

Let's take a look at the pressure on the neck at different tilt angles:

Tilt 15° = 12 kg

Tilt 30° = 18 kg

Tilt 45° = 22 kg

Tilt 60° = 30 kg

That is to say, when you lower your head 15 degrees, it is equivalent to hanging a big watermelon around your neck.

Many people lower their heads 30 degrees when looking at electronic products, which is equivalent to hanging two large watermelons.

When you lower your head 60 degrees, you will have to bear the weight of a bag of rice (30 kg), which is equivalent to three large watermelons.

Our necks were originally designed to be used upright. If we look down at our phones for a long time, our necks will be compressed into a "phone neck."

Say no to “cell phone neck” “Cell phone neck”: the neck will become stretched forward, like a turtle’s neck, which will make people look ungraceful.

If you bear such a heavy load for a long time, the aging and wear of the cervical spine will accelerate, thus affecting the health of the cervical spine.

This is why many people suffer from neck pain at a young age (the neck means it is hurt).

You may not feel the weight when you lower your head, but other muscles and ligaments in your body are helping your neck to bear the weight.

When we bend our neck, we tense our spine, which in turn tenses the supporting muscles, bones, and ligaments.

This increases wear and tear on the joints in the spine, including the discs between two bones.

Increased pressure in the neck can lead to a "bulging disc."

Foreign studies have shown that looking down at your phone for more than three hours a day will increase the risk of cervical spondylosis.

Don’t be a phone addict. If you see this, you are probably looking down at your phone.

Here is the correct way to open and swipe your phone:

The phone is at the same height as your eyes, just like reading a book with one hand.

In this way, the cervical spine can maintain its natural curve and avoid forward tilt and deformation.

But if you look at it for a long time, your hands will get sore...

If you lie down, your cervical spine is not bent forward, but the phone may hit your face...

If you put your phone on a phone holder and use it while sitting, your lumbar disc may not agree.

So when your hands feel sore, stop browsing, put down your phone and have a good rest~

What should I do if I feel sore? If you feel sore from lowering your head, stop brushing and do some neck exercises, such as:

(1) Twisting your neck

Twist up and down, left and right, and rotate, repeat 10 times in each direction.

(2) Neck and back stretch

Cross your hands behind your head to provide resistance, then lean your head back and keep your head still for 10 seconds.

You can also stretch your chin slightly backward, as if doing a "double chin" movement, and repeat 10 times.

(3) Lateral neck stretch

Use one hand to hold the opposite side of your head and gently stretch in the opposite direction.

You can also place one hand on the side of your head, and while your hand applies resistance to your head, you also push your head in the opposite direction, keeping your head still.

Keep your head still for 10 seconds for each movement, then change direction, and repeat.

Have you learned it, you phubbing people?

Protecting your neck is everyone's responsibility~

Otherwise, cervical spondylitis, frozen shoulder, lumbar disc herniation will slowly come to you...

References:

1. Association between mobile phone use and neck pain in university students: A cross-sectional study using numeric rating scale for evaluation of neck pain

2. Assessment Of Stresses In The Cervical Spine Caused By Posture And Position Of The Head

3. Neck Pain: A troubleshooting guide to help you relieve your pain, restore function, and prevent injury

4. https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/how-to-soothe-a-sore-neck