In the digital age, in which technology has advanced, the smartphone has become like organ number 33 of the human being, because we use it to do everything from waking until going to bed — work, study, entertainment, and communication. Although the smartphone brings convenience to daily life, using it too much also brings a health problem called "smartphone syndrome", which is becoming a health problem often met in every sex and every age.

Smartphone syndrome

Smartphone syndrome is a condition of phone addiction arising from using a mobile phone in an unsuitable posture and using it for too long, until it becomes a disadvantage of the phone, particularly bending the head to look at the screen, which causes aching in various parts of the body, particularly the area of the neck, the upper back, and the shoulder. Besides this it also affects the eyes and may lead to a great many other health problems in its train. The harm of playing on the phone too much is not only bodily symptoms; it can affect mental health as well.

The symptoms of smartphone syndrome

The symptoms of smartphone syndrome usually begin gradually. In the first stage, the user may feel aching around the neck and the upper back after using the phone for a long time, but the symptoms go away when they rest. However, with continuous use in an unsuitable posture, the symptoms gradually become more severe.

Bending the head to look at the phone for a long time makes the bones of the neck bear many times more weight than normal. Studies find that bending the neck 15 degrees makes the pressure on the neck increase to 12 kilograms, and if it is bent to 60 degrees the pressure may increase to as much as 27 kilograms, which makes the bones of the neck and the surrounding muscles bear more weight than necessary. Besides this, using the fingers to type messages or scroll the screen for a long time also causes pain in the wrist and the fingers. Some may have numbness or a sharp pain in the thumb and the index finger, because of using the fingers repeatedly in the same posture.

The effects of smartphone syndrome

Problems of the eyes: staring at the screen for a long time causes dry eyes, tired eyes, and blurred vision, and may cause problems of the eyes in the long term as well
Aching: bending to use the smartphone too much results in tiredness and tight pain in the muscles of the neck, the upper back, the shoulder, the shoulder blade, and the back. Some may have headache alongside
Problems of sleep: the blue light from the screen disturbs the release of the hormone melatonin (Melatonin), which is the hormone released to help you feel sleepy so that the body can rest. But when the blue light from the smartphone shines, it results in difficulty falling asleep and reduced quality of sleep
Effects on mental health: using the smartphone too much may lead to anxiety, depression, and stress
Problems of concentration: when the smartphone is used regularly, until the brain is stimulated with too much information, it results in a short attention span and difficulty focusing on work

The harm of playing on the phone too much can have effects in both children and adults, but it has a particularly severe effect in children and adolescents, where it may affect the development of the brain, learning, and social skills.

Treating smartphone syndrome

When there is phone addiction that is too much, or the harm of playing on the phone too much follows, until it affects daily life, treatment should be hastened so that more severe effects do not follow. There are 2 approaches to treating smartphone syndrome, as follows.

1. Treatment with rehabilitation medicine

Treatment with rehabilitation medicine is therapy for the bodily symptoms arising from smartphone syndrome, emphasising the relief of pain and the restoration of the working of the muscles and the joints. The method of treatment may include physiotherapy, massage to release the muscle, stretching, and exercise to build the strength of the muscles of the neck and the core muscles. In some cases medication may be used to relieve the pain and the inflammation alongside.

Besides conventional forms of therapy, there are also modern technologies and methods of rehabilitation that help make the treatment more effective, such as western medical needling, or dry needling, which emphasises correcting chronic muscle problems directly; stimulating the deep muscle with a magnetic field through the Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation (PMS) device, which helps stimulate the circulation of blood and relieve pain quickly; and the use of the High Power Laser Therapy device, which can help reduce inflammation and stimulate the process of repair at depth, helping the body recover quickly and as effectively as possible.

2. Treatment by changing habits

Changing habits is important in treating smartphone syndrome and preventing it from coming back. It has to begin with understanding the problem and wanting to change the habits as they are, for better health. There are several important approaches to changing habits, as follows.

Limit the time of using the smartphone each day, such as setting a goal of using the phone only during breaks, or turning off notifications as appropriate
Correct the posture of use, holding the phone at eye level and bending the head as little as possible
Rest the eyes and stretch the body every 30 minutes
Use ergonomic accessories (Ergonomics), such as a phone stand or a holder that helps you use it in a suitable posture
Avoid using the phone before bed; it is advised to put the phone outside the bedroom, or at a point far from the head of the bed instead