Your hands are free but how’s your neck? Alan Nevies at North London Osteopaths has some words of wisdom for you!

Often we hold our phone between our neck and shoulder when our hands are full. Although it might be convenient at the time it has negative effects on the muscles and joints on the neck.

Holding your phone in this position repetitively can cause muscular imbalances in the neck and possible joint irritation.

Holding the phone with your neck requires you to side bend the neck and puts strain under the muscles in the neck. The overuse of the muscles in this way can lead to a feeling of fatigue, a deep ache or even sharp pains. One side of the neck contracts and shortens while the other side relaxes and is lengthened. If this allowed to happen frequently then over time the overworked muscles will start to hurt and cause issues in the joints of the neck as it tries to compensate

Here at NORTH LONDON OSTEOPATHS we see many people who come into us with muscular imbalances in their neck. This is very often due to using the phone in an incorrect manner. Alan Nevies and the team have noticed an increase in this type of complaint over the last few years.

Osteopathy can help treat these symptoms by correcting the muscular imbalance and help take stress off the affected muscles and joints.

While we at North London Osteopaths can help treat these issues, we are treating the symptom and not the cause. Prevention is better than cure: remember it is always best to hold the phone in your hand and not use your neck!!