Texting Is Like Adding 60 Pounds to Your Spine
Texting Is Like Adding 60 Pounds to Your Spine – According to a new study, people who slump over to text can be adding as much as 60 extra pounds to their spine and neck.
Now-a-days smartphones are basically attached to peoples’ hands.
But a new study shows using the devices so frequently really can become a pain in the neck — quite literally.
NBC Anchor Savannah Guthrie said, “When you text it is equal to four bowling balls on your spine.”
“What?”
“Every time you look down at your smartphone … the pressure’s equal to 60 pounds.”
To get the findings, one researcher at Surgical Technology International explained, “We made the calculations using neck + head, which gave an average weight of [13.2 pounds].” This graph shows how much pressure is added to your spine depending on the degree your head is titled. Even with your head in a neutral position, there are still 10-12 pounds to support. But it can be a bit alarming to see that number increases to 60 pounds when your head is at a 60 degree angle — which is just about chin to chest.
For perspective, a punching bag weighs around 60 pounds. I’ve personally never had a punching bag on my neck — but i’d imagine it wouldn’t feel too great.
Those large and pretty shocking numbers have lead some outlets to be a bit skeptical of the findings — more specifically the amount of blame for back and neck problems placed on cell phones.
WYOU: “You know what else can cause those problems? Shoveling five feet of snow.”
At this point there’s plenty of that — particularly for people living in Buffalo.
And what about cleaning, cooking, eating, reading, sometimes even walking — you know, if it’s been a particularly rough day. But on average, a person will spend way more time on their phones than any other named activity.
According to the researchers “People spend an average of two to four hours a day with their heads tilted over reading and texting on their smart phones and devices. Cumulatively this is 700 to 1400 hours a year of excess stresses seen about the cervical spine.”
If you’re worried about the findings, researchers recommend cutting back on texting time or staying upright while using your devices.
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