Smartphones and laptops have become a significant part of everyone`s lives these days. Their use has increased tremendously during the lockdown. Not just youngsters, people of all age groups are glued to the screens more than ever before. In several cases, work from home is to be blamed.

People have been looking in their phone screens and scrolling through tons of data. And now as the lockdown stretches through its 4th version, postural issues and neck problems have begun to crop up among people.

Renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. DV Sharma told India Today that the complaints of neck and postural problems have increased as patients are unable to seek medical help feely during the lockdown. "This is primarily due to the unergonomic seating arrangement most people have at their homes. Work from home has been the latest culprit to affect the skeletal health of the people and a lot of patients are reporting issues with their necks and backs these days," he said.

Senior orthopedic surgeon Dr. SN Agarwal said, "Text Neck Syndrome is a complicated problem that arises from looking down at the screens of mobile phones, laptops, and tablets for extended duration without frequent relief. The fingers, especially the thumbs are also facing the brunt of continuous texting. A lot of patients are reporting pain in their shoulders and neck, which is due to the inflammation of the muscles supporting the neck, due to continuous fatigue."

Dr. Ravi Sabbarwal said that cases of a herniated disc are quite common among people who sit in unergonomic positions for long hours and work on their computer systems. "This eventually results in an unnatural curvature in the spine. Pain in shoulders, back and neck is a symptom of this problem. This could also subsequently cause spondylosis if the cervical nerve starts to get pinched. The neurological symptoms from this can extend to the arms, and ignoring them for too long can result in permanent damage," he added.

Dr. Sabbarwal further said that if any such symptoms appear, which include the hands or the palm becoming numb, it is wise to consult a doctor and get some physiotherapy. Medicines should only be used if they are prescribed by a doctor.