You know those bumper stickers that show the evolution of man from crouched primate to standing Homo Sapien and then back to a crouched figure, bent over their computer?
That physical development might not be far off the mark, except it’s not computers that we’re hunched over, but cell phones. Some doctors have noticed and given name to the phenomenon: text-neck.
According to a study in The Spine Journal, the neck usually curves back, but as people engage with their phones for longer and longer periods of time, they get disc and posture issues. And as phone use becomes widespread in younger children, this might portend medical troubles for future generations.
So how does texting change your posture? What medical issues could it cause? And what can we do to keep our chins up and prevent text-neck?
Guests:
Dean Fishman, a chiropractor in Florida and founder of the Text Neck Institute
Karena Wu, owner and clinical director of ActiveCare Physical Therapy in New York