In short, yes. 🤯
You know when you are scrolling through Instagram and Facebook, trying to catch up on what Sophie from high school is doing...
Your head is tilted down, you shoulders begin to round, and then your neck begins to get a little sore. That slight pain you feel isn't normal, it's the weight of your head and neck tilting forward. 😨
The average human head weighs 10 to 12 pounds; your neck muscles get nice and strong holding your head straight all day everyday. When you tilt your head forward it increases the weight straining your back by DRASTIC amounts.
- At 15 degrees forward the strain on the neck equals a 27 pound head
- 30 degrees forward the strain on the neck equals a 40 pound head
- 45 degrees forward equals 49 pounds
- 60 degrees forward equals 60 pounds
Most people are on their phones for over 4 hours a day. 😳
All of this extra, and extremely heavy, strain on the neck creates unnecessary wear and tear on the muscles on joints in the neck and back. Extreme cases of wear can even cause spinal degeneration, which may require surgery.
Don't go giving up your Facebook stalking just yet though... There is hope! 🙌
Making an effort to have great posture will help rehabilitate the damage done to your neck and spine. Using a posture corrector will train your neck and back muscles to stand straight. It will also strengthen your muscles so when you want to spend hours catching up on articles from Stuff you'll be strong enough to hold your head up, without causing extra strain. 🎉
Just in case, here are a couple more tips to make sure you aren't causing too many problems for you back:
- When reading on your phone, try to hold it at eye level or just below the face.
- Use your desktop or laptop for extended periods of work.
- Try to put down your phone every 20 minutes to stretch out your neck.
Happy scrolling! ☺️