Is Your Cell Phone Causing You Physical Pain?

It may seem like a strange question, but it is fairly common for cell phones to cause users physical pain. In the United States, the average person sends more than 40 emails per day from their phone, spends around 23 hours per week texting, and nearly 6.5 hours per week playing cellular video games. This increase in screen time has increased technology-driven discomforts.

Ways to Reduce Cell Phone Pain

If you’ve noticed an increase in muscle discomfort after using your phone, you are not alone. By incorporating proper body mechanics and ergonomics into your cell phone use behaviors, you can reduce your risk of developing pain.

Here are a few tips for how to incorporate those principles:

• Avoid bending neck by raising the phone to eye level or look down with eyes
• Use thumb pads to type, not tips
• Alternate between thumbs and fingers when typing
• Always maintain optimal sitting postures

Simple Behaviors to Change Your Cell Phone Body Mechanics

Along with the quick tips above, modifying your behavior and how you use your cell phone can have a large impact on muscle discomforts associated with technology use. Below are three steps you can use to change your behavior and reduce your pain.

1. Do a Posture Check - Use a device stand or pop socket to go handsfree

• Use an external keyboard or mouse with Bluetooth when possible
• Find a place where you can sit upright with arm support

2. Use Your Voice

• Make a call instead of texting for longer conversations
• Use a headset or earbuds for phone calls
• Try talk to text for longer emails and messages, making sure to review for typos

3. Re-Energize

• Take microbreaks every 20-30 minutes to stretch or change position
• Put the screen away and get moving

Cellphone-induced discomforts are not uncommon for people in today’s technology-driven world. The good news is by incorporating some simple behavior modifications you can greatly reduce your risk of muscle pain.