By Lucy Osuizigbo-Okechukwu
Awka – A medical expert, Dr Chinonso Egemba, has urged the public to always sit back and
hold their phones at eye level, rather than bend their necks to prevent spinal cord or joint problems later in life.
Egemba, who is popularly known as ‘Aproko Doctor’, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Friday,
that people use their mobile phones for four to five hours on an average, with their neck bent.
According to him, such posture hurt the neck bones and may cause joint problems later in life.
He said “your head is bent forward, with your shoulders curved. You should probably learn to sit back,
put your head straight and continue reading on your phone.
“The head of an average adult weighs about five kg, and it sits on the neck which is made of bones connected to
each other and stacked on each other.
“Ideally, the weight of the head should not cause any problems, but when you bend forward, the amount of pressure
put on the neck bones can increase to support the weight of the head at an unnatural angle.
“For every inch you tilt your head forward, you increase the pressure. This can lead to muscle strain, spinal cord
problems, nerve pain and pinched nerves pain.”
He advised that one should hold the mobile phone at eye level, take breaks when using the mobile phone and stretch
the neck from time to time.
“When working on a phone or a laptop, try to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
“It might not always be practical because some people work in small rooms. Just look at something far from you. It is
called the 20:20:20 rule, it will help to reduce the strain on your eyes.
“And if your neck is hurting more than usual, please speak to a doctor.” (NAN)
