Biomedical Research

Purpose: Individuals are utilizing smartphones for different tasks on a daily basis. Prolonged smartphone usage might lead to deficient postures such as forward head posture and rounded shoulders. The purpose of this study was to look at the impact of the heavy use of smartphones versus light use on Joint Position Error (JPE), Craniovertebral Angle (CVA), and balance measures.

Method: Thirty healthy participants were recruited in this study, and they were divided into two groups: light use (phone use<4 h/d) and heavy use (phone use>4 h/d). Subjects were assessed for cervical repositioning errors using the JPE test. Forward head posture was measured by CVA. Dynamic balance was assessed using the Biodex stability system.

Results: There was a significant increase in JPE of both right and left rotation in the heavy-use group compared with that of light-use group. Also, there was a significant increase in balance indices in the heavy-use group. However, there was no significant difference in CVA between groups.

Conclusion: Our study showed that prolonged duration of smartphone use could negatively affect cervical proprioception and dynamic balance ability. Further considerations are required to outline the negative impacts of heavy usage of smartphones and to implement preventive measures.

Author(s): Adel Alshahrani, Sobhy M Aly, Mohamed Samy Abdrabo, Faisal Y. Asiri
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