asking for a friend: am i getting a hunchback?
'text neck' not only causes a bump in your spine, but it can lead to chronic neck and back pain.
4 minute read
if you feel a bump developing at the base of your neck, you could be on your way to developing what's called a "buffalo hump" or "dowager’s hump". getty
dear asking for a friend,
i’m constantly hunched over my phone, my tablet, even my laptop. not only are my shoulder and neck tight and achy, but i am noticing a curve in my spine. could i be getting a hunchback?
signed,
forever hunched
dear forever hunched,
no question, our digital devices have advantages, but what happens when you rarely put your phone down — besides eye strain and wrist pain? well, your posture pays a price. we’re talking about that curve in your neck that happens as you’re leaning forward to look down at your screen which causes your shoulders to hunch over, the combination of which puts pressure — and not the good kind — on your spine.
if you feel a bump developing at the base of your neck, you could be on your way to developing what’s called a “buffalo hump” or “dowager’s hump”. medically referred to as kyphosis, the hump is an increased curve in the upper neck commonly caused by poor posture like slouching or hunching over, according to the mayo clinic. other symptoms include back or neck pain, a feeling of your head being too heavy, fatigued muscles in the back or neck and tension headaches.
your head weighs 7 kilograms
think of it this way: your head weighs about seven kilograms and is supported by just seven vertebrae and surrounding muscles, nerves, tendons and ligaments, which all make up your cervical spine. but as your neck bends forward and down, the weight hammering down on your cervical spine increases.
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a well-cited study in surgical technology international revealed that when we crane our neck forward 45 degrees on average for texting, this places a weight of 22kg on the spine, which is roughly five times the pressure considered normal. most phone users typically spend two to four hours a day hunched over their screen, which adds up to 700 to 1,400 hours of extra pressure on the spine per year which can take a toll. in fact, there’s a name for it: “text neck syndrome.” it includes a cluster of symptoms that include back, neck and headache pain that pediatric researchers at the university of chieti in italy have looked at in children and adolescents. in developing young bodies, text neck could lead to chronic neck and back pain, along with eye problems, anxiety, irritability, poor communication and lower school marks.
“increased stresses on the cervical spine can lead to cervical degeneration along with other developmental, medical, psychological, and social complications,” the authors note. “findings support the contention that an appropriate approach for an early diagnosis and treatment is crucial to properly evaluate this emerging issue worldwide in children and adolescents who spend a lot of time watching smartphones and computers.”
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dr. ayla azad, a thornhill chiropractor and chief experience officer with the canadian chiropractic association (cca), has seen her share of neck and back troubles throughout her 25 years in clinical practice.
“there’s no doubt that musculoskeletal, as we call them, issues with the muscles, bones, joints and nervous system are very prevalent among canadians, ” she says. “one of the aspects to that could be our lifestyles today, hunching forward, we’re sitting a lot more so that sedentary lifestyle does take a toll and can absolutely contribute to the amount of people who are suffering with pain.”
the kitchen table that is now a desk
more of us working from home has also been a factor, she says, with people piecing together work stations sitting at the kitchen table or even sitting on their beds, which aren’t creating ideal environments for posture and body mechanics that are best at the keyboard. check out cca’s tips for an ergonomic work setup.
conversations about neck and back pain often come down to screen time, because we’re on smartphones and other devices, we’re working or studying on computers, and then we also spend a lot of time in front of a screen for video games and tv shows. the antidote is simple, though, according to azad.
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“movement is key, so the more you can move, the better,” she says.
while your mom might have told you to stand up straight with your shoulders back, emerging research has shown that your body is strong and naturally programmed for all kinds of tasks and positions.
“your body is designed to move and it’s designed to lean forward, extend back and to sit, so there’s nothing wrong with that,” says azad. “the issue becomes when you start doing it too long, repetitively, over and over again.”
whether you’re on your laptop or your phone, take regular breaks, she says. if you’re sitting, for example, get up and move around. azad also is a huge proponent of any type of exercise to stay healthy and keep your muscles strong, including ones that focus on your core, back and neck. stretching can also help counteract the chronic hunching.
“stand up, squeeze your shoulder blades together, stretch your arms out, circle your shoulders,” she says, adding cca has a free app, straightenupcanada, that offers a three-minute program to improve posture and spinal health.
and if you’re having muscle pain or headaches, azad recommends getting assessed by a chiropractor to get the help you need. “prevention is always better than cure,” she says.
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karen hawthorne is a toronto-based writer.
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