Use of electronic devices could lead to a kind of stress injury nicknamed “text neck,” the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Nantou Hospital said on Monday.
Doctors are seeing a surge in “text neck,” especially among women aged 25 to 55 working in office or service jobs, neurosurgeon Tsai Chia-hsun (蔡佳勳) said.
When people hunch over to look at a screen, extra weight is placed on the neck muscles and the spine, accumulating stress that tires the muscles and injures tendons, Tsai said.
In some cases, stress injuries could cause the growth of spinal disc bone spurs that could have severe consequences and require surgical treatment, she said.
Symptoms include numbness or pain in the arms, legs, chest or abdomen; lack of strength; impaired gross or fine motor functions; lack of stability; and incontinence, she said.
The hospital recently treated a 30-year-old office worker surnamed Chen (陳), who complained of numbness and pain in the head and chest, and hand weakness so severe that she could not pick up a glass of water.
After ruling out medical issues linked to metabolism and circulation, doctors determined that Chen had developed “text neck” from working long hours at her office computer, communicating with coworkers by text message and watching shows on her cellphone while in bed.
She has fully recovered after taking painkillers and reducing unnecessary screen time, Tsai said.
Hospital superintendent Hung Hung-chang (洪弘昌) said that an incline in the neck exponentially increases the strain it bears, with a bend of 60° equivalent to a load of 27kg.
People working at computer or using electronic devices should perform neck stretches such as rotations and nodding movements every 15 minutes, avoid staying in the same posture for more than 30 minutes and remember to keep their back and neck straight, he added.
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