A top doctor has warned of the damage our phones are having on our health, with bent backs triggering everything from incontinence to shortness of breath.
Dr Kuo-Pin Wu, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, says smartphones and screens have become fixtures in our daily lives, but ‘constantly looking down at them can reshape the curve of our spines’.
He warns more people are developing kyphosis, also called round back or hunchback, an increasingly common condition affects more than 3million Americans per year.
The natural curve in the upper back is considered to be between 20 and 45 degrees on an X-ray but a curve exceeding 50 degrees is generally classified as kyphosis.
And Dr Wu says the most common cause of this is ‘habitual forward head and neck posture, such as frequently looking down at screens while working.’
Aside from looking unsightly, Dr Wu says a hunchback can cause an array of health problems, including poor posture, chronic pain, balance issues and even losing the ability to walk.
While scrolling for hours or sending hundreds of texts a day is a major contributor to acquired humpback, the condition can also be caused by ‘using an overly high pillow, weak lower back muscles, or spinal compression fractures in the lumbar or thoracic region.’
To avoid the myriad of complications that come with hunchback, Dr Wu recommends doing daily overhead arm stretches and sleeping with a pillow under your knees to relieve pressure on the lower back and ‘promote a more natural alignment.’
A top doctor has warned of the damage our phones are having on our health, with bent backs causing our internal organs to get squashed
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The Cleveland Clinic says severe kyphosis may cause pain or stiffness in the back and shoulder blades, a tingling sensation in your legs, balance issues and a shortness of breath as your chest is compressed.
It can also cause incontinence.
This is because hunching over can compress the spinal cord or nerves in the spine, which disrupts the communication between the brain and the muscles responsible for bladder control.
Dr Wu says one study found people with severe hunchback posture were ‘subject to increased load on their trunk muscles and spine, which can accelerate spinal degeneration.’
Spinal degeneration, which typically occurs in adults over the age of 40, occurs when the spine’s cartilage and discs wear down and lose their supportive function.
In the most severe cases, degenerative disc disease can lead to a collapsing stage, which could mean you are confined to bed or a wheelchair.
Moving to your internal organs, Dr Wu says a curved spine can have a negative impact on your cardiovascular and respiratory function.
He explains: ‘Hunchback posture can cause the ribs to compress inward, reducing lung capacity and potentially impairing heart and lung function.
‘Symptoms may include heart palpitations, chest tightness, and frequent shortness of breath.’
The Framingham Study – the nation’s longest running large-scale analysis of cardiovascular disease – found severe hunchback posture was associated with a rapid decline in lung function, especially in older women.
Lastly, Dr Wu says a hunchback posture can negatively impact your stomach function.
Kyphosis, also called round back or hunchback, affects more than 3m people per year in the US
As your internal organs are compressed by a curved, this can lead to bloating and indigestion.
He cites a Japanese study that found among adult patients undergoing surgery for spinal deformities, 52 percent experienced frequent symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
This is a digestive disorder that occurs when stomach acid flows back up into the food pipe.
To help correct a hunchback, Dr Wu suggests several exercises including using your devices less frequently and daily overhead arm stretches.
He instructs: ‘Stretch your arms forward and raise them overhead. Start with your palms facing each other, then rotate them outward as your arms lift. Tilt your head slightly upward.
‘As your arms rise, step forward with your right foot, lifting your left heel so that only your toes touch the ground.
‘Return to a neutral standing position, then step forward with your left foot and repeat the movement.
‘Continue alternating sides and repeat the exercise 10 times.’
This exercise, Dr Wu says, helps to stretch the muscles and joints in your back, support lymphatic circulation under your arms, and boost oxygen intake.
He recommends performing it ‘several times a day whenever you have the time.’
