Smartphones can be a pain in the neck
If you're suffering inexplicable pain in your neck, shoulders and head, you're probably spending too much time in front of your laptop or on your smartphone. Medical experts warned that poor neck posture is leading to a growing global epidemic called Forward Head Posture, which is one of the most common causes of neck, head and shoulder tension and pain.According to the American Journal of Pain Management, "posture affects and moderates every physiological function from breathing to hormonal production".Cape Town chiropractor Dr Robert Delgado said Forward Head Posture was highly prevalent in South Africa.He said it could overload the spine and nervous system by adding weight to the neck and shoulders."For every 2.5cm that the head moves forward, an extra 4.5kg of weight is placed on the neck."For this reason FHP can lead to chronic pain and numbness in the arms or legs."Sandton orthopaedic surgeon Dr Juan Marin said he often treated patients with FHP."It is very common in my practice. Laptops are a problem and so are smartphones."..
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