The most common activity that we all participate in throughout the day is probably the one that we think of the very least regarding its impact on our bodies. What exactly goes on with our joints and our muscles with prolonged use of mobile phones?
This all depends on our own individual preferences:
Texting: Flip phones and other mobile devices with actual buttons got slammed for supposedly causing “blackberry thumb” or a nickname for repetitive strain injury of the thumbs. These days, our repetitive motions aren’t usually spent pressing tiny buttons but rather sliding our fingerprints across a screen.
Talking: Some users are old-fashioned and don’t mind having their mobile phone brought up to their ear for a conversation. Others may communicate over the phone using the loud speaker, Bluetooth, ear-buds, or the car-speaker.
Unless someone paces or simply can’t hold still while on the phone, all of these methods cause the phone user to sit in stillness for periods of time which places strain on the neck, shoulders, hips, and back.
Movie-watching and social media-surfing: Similarly to talking or even texting on the phone, watching a movie or scanning through social media content equates to prolonged sitting, lying down, or whatever position a person chooses to remain in while engaging with their phone.
Ergonomics can play a role in preventing muscle/joint strain and potential repetitive use injuries that often accompany constant mobile phone use. Users range from that moody teenager who can’t seem to put that screen down to major business operatives who keep their careers alive on a mobile phone.
Let’s talk about what kind of ergonomic equipment is available on the market today and what body mechanics-related benefits each provide:
Stylus pens: Stylus pens allow for writing, scrolling, and typing on a mobile phone screen without the use of fingertips and thumb joints.
Stylus pens that are thicker with grips allow for a healthier grasp that doesn’t place a lot of strain on the hand joints. This means that typing or writing lengthy messages and documents on your phone can be less stressful to your hands.
Mobile phone grips: Some folks who are easily stressed or anxious grasp onto items more firmly than necessary. There are others who are simply nervous about dropping their phones onto the ground in the middle of a conversation. Phone grips allow for a person to have some friction along their fingertips, which makes them feel a little more at ease about holding their phone for longer periods of time.
Ear pieces: If a user has to engage in a lengthy Video chat, phone call or some other activity that requires looking at the screen or holding the phone up to their ear, simply using ear buds or head phones would positively impact their posture.
Instead of looking down at their phones next to their chests (which terribly pulls on those neck extensors and upper back muscles), holding your arm in the air, or pinning the phone between your ear and the top of your shoulder, ear pieces allow for you to place the phone further away from your body at a length comfortable for you.
Voice recognition apps: Voice recognition software has become more and more reliable and refined over the years. If a user finds themselves excessively typing messages on their phone, they may just benefit from using a voice recognition app in order to avoid repetitive use injuries in the hands, wrists, and finger joints.
Mobile phone stands: If you have no other equipment to use (i.e. a laptop or a tablet), watching movies or video chatting with people on a tiny mobile phone is exhausting for the body. Maladaptive positioning includes flexing forward at the neck, hunching the shoulders, posterior pelvic tilt of the hips (caused by curling the spine forward), etc.
Consider using a mobile phone stand in order to prop the phone screen up and then place the stand on a table with a reasonable height that wouldn’t cause hunching.
