You must be currently reading this while hunched over your phone. Stop doing that as here is a scary wake-up call. According to a study published in the journal Surgical Technology International, looking down at your phone can force up to ten kilos of your body weight on your spine. Imagine how much damage you are causing your back and neck when you spend an average two to four hours of your day slumped over your smartphone. The painful burden that comes along from staring down at devices also known as 'text neck’ and is rapidly becoming a global epidemic.

How Texting Hurts Your Spine And Back?

Have you experienced that tightness or tinge of pain that slowly starts creeping up your neck and upper back after you have looked down at your phone for a long time?  Well, that's the start. Looking down puts a lot of pressure on the front of the neck. This is especially worrisome as it can cause intervertebral discs to migrate backward, thereby increasing the chances for a bulging disc. This can not only trigger a literal pain in your neck, but also put a lot of stress on your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Cell Phone Giving You Acne? 5 Unexpectedly Germy Everyday Objects That Are Damaging Your Skin.

Your head weighs around 5 to 6 kg, so when you are standing upright, you are putting that much amount of stress on your spine. Tilting your head forward increases the amount of stress and weight on your spine. So technically, when you tilt just 15 degrees forward, you add about 12 kilos; at 30 degrees, its 18 kilos; at 45 degrees, its 22kilos; and at 60 degrees, it's 28 kilos of stress. To put things to perspective, that's like carrying an 8-year-old around your neck for several hours per day. Ouch much?

What Are The First Symptoms?

The most common symptoms associated with text neck are pain and soreness, including chronic, sharp, and nagging discomfort, as well as severe muscle spasms. However, if a cervical nerve is pinched, the pain may radiate down your arm and into your hand. Screen Time: Obesity, Low-Self Esteem and Other Side Effects of Screen Exposure in Children Parents Didn’t Know Of.

Tips To Avoid The Adverse Side Effects Of Texting

While there is no way you would be ditching your phone or tablet, you can at least ensure to have a correct posture, aligning your ears with your shoulders. Yes, this means putting your phone pretty much directly in front of your face, but at least you won't be dealing with a seriously stiff neck 20 years from now.

  • Take frequent breaks from your device and change your position. Try lying on your back to relieve pressure on your neck.

  • Keep your spine erect and practice good posture. By keeping your shoulders pulled back, your body will stay aligned in a neutral position.

  • Exercise and stretch daily. If you do not have time for exercise, simply arching your neck and upper back in a backward motion from time to time will help ease muscle tension.

Over time, slouching and texting all day can result in much more serious damage, including arthritis, flattening of the spinal curve, spinal degeneration, and even spinal misalignment. So take measures before it is too late.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 29, 2019 02:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).