Effect of smartphone use on cervical spine stability

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Musculoskeletal health
• Ergonomics

Background:

• Prolonged smartphone use often involves a sustained head-forward tilt posture.
• This posture may negatively impact cervical spine muscle reaction efficiency and connective tissue stiffness.
• Impaired cervical spine stability and neck pain are potential consequences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate changes in cervical spine stability due to sustained smartphone use posture.
• To quantify effective stiffness and reflexive head responses to perturbations.
• To investigate the relationship between head tilt posture and neck discomfort.

Main Methods:

• Seventeen young adults maintained a ~30° head-forward tilt for 30 minutes while using smartphones.
• Cervical spine stability was assessed by measuring effective stiffness and reflexive responses to sudden perturbations.
• Participants reported neck and upper body discomfort levels.

Main Results:

• No significant changes were observed in cervical spine stability measures after the smartphone use task.
• Participants reported mild to moderate neck and upper body discomfort symptoms.
• Cervical spine stability remained unaffected despite the sustained posture.

Conclusions:

• Maintaining a head tilt posture for 30 minutes during smartphone use did not significantly alter cervical spine stability.
• The study rejects a direct association between this posture and impaired spinal stability.
• Neck discomfort may arise from factors other than significant changes in cervical spine stability.