We live in an era where we are all in front of screens almost daily. Whether it is for education, work, or entertainment, it is always a computer or a phone screen in front of us. But being hunched in front of a computer all the time is taking a significant toll on our spines.
If you have felt neck or back pain after using a computer for a while, then you might know what we are talking about. So today, we will be discussing the impact of computer screens on neck and back health and ways to mitigate it.
What Extensive Screen Time Does To You?
We spend a large time period in front of our computers. We hunch and type away at our keyboards for hours on end. This puts a lot of strain on our necks. Our back and neck, basically our spine, are not supposed to be hunched forward for long periods. Straight or reclining is the natural position for our spine.
This causes a lot of strain on our spine. According to doctors, a 45-degree hunch puts almost a 50lbs force on our necks. And this strain eventually causes neck pain and back pain. Several pieces of research have found connections between computer and phone usage and neck and back pain.
This gives you lousy posture, severe pain, and other complications. Many of you might already know what pains we are referring to here. Over time your pain will increase if you do not do something about it. You will also have to live with a hunched posture, which you don’t want.
What You Should Do About It?
First of all, sit up straight! Doctors of the AOA recommend that sitting up straight is the most significant factor you need to keep in mind regarding back and neck pain caused by computers. Improving your posture can start alleviating the pain and fix your stature.
Set up your computer screen so you can look at the screen at eye level and not have to hunch forward. Sometimes a standing desk can help too. You should not spend too much time at a stretch in front of your computer. Take a break and remove yourself from the computer for 5-10 minutes every hour.
An increase in physical activity can decrease your neck and back pain by a significant amount. You can do a lot of exercises just sitting at your desk. Physical activity can help reduce strain on your spine and improve your health.
Often even if we know to keep our backs straight, we forget to do it in practice. So, it is important to check yourself for posture every once in a while when you are working in front of a computer. And another thing to remember is that you should recline instead of hunch forward if you feel like it is tiring to hold yourself straight; that will help with pain too.
Suppose you keep these simple practices in mind and are physically active. In that case, you can expect to alleviate neck and back pain caused by screen time and not have to worry about anything similar in the foreseeable future.
This content was provided by yours truly, Dig Detox. Our mission is to help people use technology safely as we believe health is our most valuable asset. For further articles, research, and information on the movement, please visit www.digdetox.com.
Sources: