ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 24 (UPI) -- As medical concerns mount over chronic pain among young smartphone users dubbed "tech neck," experts are calling for new measures to counteract the phenomenon, which they warn can potentially lead to early-onset spinal problems.
The warnings come as a growing body of scientific literature points to an association between excessive or addictive smartphone use and physical and musculoskeletal strains, such as tech neck -- caused when users hold their heads forward for prolonged periods while scrolling and texting, leading to cervical spine problems and pain.
For instance, new findings published this month in the International Journal of Environmental Sciences is adding to those concerns with evidence that "forward head posture," as well as shoulder mobility problems, are "significantly" associated with heavy smartphone use among college-aged young people in India.
Forward head posture, or FHP, is a common condition in which the head is flexed forward relative to the neck. Holding the head in this position for long periods of time puts significant strain on the spine, sometimes triggering hyperextension of the upper cervical spine and flexion of the lower cervical spine.
