>> TECHNOLOGY HAS THE POWER TO COMPLETELY SHAPE OUR LIVES. WE’VE SEEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN
BUT IT CAN ALSO ALTER OUR
BODIES IN UNEXPECTED WAYS WHEN
WE DO THE THINGS WE HAVEN’T
DONE FOR YEARS BECAUSE OF THAT
TECHNOLOGY.
RESEARCHERS DISCOVERED THAT
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE DEVELOPING
HORN LIKE SPIKES ON THE BACK OF
THE SCHOOLS DUE TO LONG PERIODS
OF TIME LOOKING DOWN AT THEIR
MOBILE DEVICES.
THE STUDY FOUND IT AFFECTS
ROUGHLY 30 PERCENT OF 18 TO
30-YEAR-OLDS ESPECIALLY YOUNG
MALES.
THAT MIGHT HAVE TO BE SOMETHING
WITH ALL THE GAMING.
JOINING ME NOW IS DOCTOR MARK
CIPOLLA A NEUROSURGEON.
I DON’T WANT TO OVER DRAMATIZE
THE STORY.
WHEN PEOPLE THINK HORNS THEY
WONDER WHAT’S GOING ON.
WHEN IT COMES TO THIS THIS IS
REALLY LOOKING AT BONE SPURS
FORMING IN THE AREA BECAUSE
PEOPLE ARE HUNCHED OVER IN YOUR
NECK IS NOT IN A PROPER
POSITION?
>> THEY ARE NOT HORNS, THEY ARE
BONE SPURS GOING OFF THE BACK
OF THE SCHOOL FROM BENDING OUR
HEADS FORWARD FROM USING MOBILE
DEVICES.
CELL PHONES, TABLET AND THEY
ARE MORE COMMON IN YOUNG MALES.
ROUGHLY 40 PERCENT IN 18 TO
30-YEAR-OLDS AND NORMALLY WE
SEE THIS IN OLDER PATIENTS.
>> IS A SMALLER NUMBER?
>> YES, IT’S AN INCREASE ALSO
IN THE YOUNGER AGE GROUP IN THE
THOUGHT IS IT’S FROM THE MOBILE
DEVICES.
>> WHY WOULD THE BODY FORM THE
SPURS FROM THAT KIND OF
POSTURE?
>> FROM BENDING OUR HEADS
FORWARD RATHER THAN KEEPING IT
STRAIGHT AND LOOKING DOWN AT
TEXTING AND MOBILE DEVICES
WHICH IS A NEW PHENOMENON IN
THE LAST DECADE OR TWO. >> WE
ARE STARTING TO SEE THE EFFECTS
OF THAT.IS THIS DANGEROUS?
WHAT SYMPTOMS WILL PEOPLE FEEL
IF THEY EXPERIENCE THIS?
>> IT’S NOT DANGEROUS OR
SIGNIFICANT.
THE MORE IMPORTANT ISSUE IS
THIS COULD BE A PART OF WHAT WE
ARE LOOKING AT.
INCREASED HEADACHE AND NECK
PAIN DUE TO HAVING OUR HEAD
HELD FORWARD AND IT COULD LEAD
TO DEGENERATIVE DISCS OR
ARTHRITIS AND OVER TIME LEAD TO
SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF, A
NEUROSURGEON AND LEAD TO
SURGERY.
>> WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT USING
GOOD POSTURE.
IF YOU ARE ON YOUR PHONE FOR 5
MINUTES IN THE MORNING OR THE
AFTERNOON IS NOT SUCH A BIG
DEAL BUT WE ARE FINDING PEOPLE
WITH 30 MINUTES IN THE MORNING
OR COUPLE HOURS IN THE EVENING
AND YOU NEVER SEE WHAT YOU’RE
SUPPOSED TO DO WHICH IS QUITE
AWKWARD IS TO LIFT THE PHONE
UP, TILT YOUR HEAD BACK AND
THEN DO THIS ONE YOU ARE
TEXTING.
YOU NEVER SEE ANYBODY DO THAT.
>> THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE ARE ALL GUILTY OF LOOKING
DOWN AND THE ANSWER IS TO TRY
TO RAISE THE PHONE UP.
IF YOU ARE USING A TABLET USE A
PILLOW OR TRY TO USE A STAND.
AND, PUT THE PHONE DOWN ONCE IN
A WHILE.
>> IT’S HARD TO CONVINCE PEOPLE
TO DO.
>> MANUFACTURERS ARE PUTTING
TRACKING PROGRAMS ON THE DEVICE
TO KNOW HOW OFTEN WE ARE USING
THE PHONES.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WILL
TAKE FOR PEOPLE TO GET THE
MESSAGE AND APPLY TECHNIQUES TO
HELP WITH THE PAIN?
>> I THINK GETTING THE WORD OUT
LIKE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AND
REALLY CONCENTRATE ON KEEPING
GOOD POSTURE WHICH IS A GENERAL
PRINCIPLE NOT ONLY FOR THE NEXT
BUT FOR THE BACK AND ALL OF OUR
JOINTS.
>> IF THIS DOES DEVELOP INTO
PAIN WHAT TYPE OF SURGERY WOULD
YOU POTENTIALLY NEED FOR THIS?
>> FOR SOMEONE HAS DISC DISEASE
OR BONE SPURS IN THE NECK THEY
COULD HAVE A POSTERIOR
OPERATION AND THOSE ARE
RELATIVELY SERIOUS PROCEDURES.
BUT PRETTY COMMONPLACE.
>> NOTHING YOU ARE CONCERNED
ABOUT 10 TO 15 YEARS DOWN THE
LINE IF HABITS DON’T CHANGE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
PEOPLE WILL REQUIRE THESE
THINGS THAT WILL NEED
INTERVENTION.
>> FOLKS, MAKE IT COOL TO LOOK
AT YOUR PHONE THIS WAY BECAUSE
RIGHT NOW THERE’S PROBABLY NOT
SO MUCH BUT THERE ARE CHANGES
THAT WE CAN ALL MAKE TO HELP
TAKE BETTER CARE OF OUR NECK.
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