Your Spine & Electronics

If you’re like me, you are never too far away from your electronics (i.e. smart phone, iPad, etc.). They are convenient and make our lives a little easier - some days we wonder what we ever did without them! The same can be said for our computers – both desktops and laptops.However, as much as we’ve grown to depend on these, our bodies are paying a price. I’ll start with smart phones and tablets. When you are looking at these devices, which direction are you looking? Chances are, you are holding the phone down and your head is leaned in to see it. At the same time, your shoulders also might be lurched forward. When you are sitting in a chair looking at your computer screen, you are probably also pitched forward causing your shoulders to be out of line from where they are supposed to be. When our shoulders are rounded in, then our heads are also pitching forward in an unnatural position.In this picture, the x-ray on the right shows a natural curve to the cervical spine. The x-ray on the left shows a head that is pitched forward. Which position do you think your spine is in when you are leaning forward to read your text messages? In order to try to maintain proper alignment, your phone, computer, etc. should be at or just below eye level.