Experts Warn Prolonged Smartphone Use Causes Neck, Eye, and Hand Strain

Smartphones have become an integral part of daily life, with many people checking their devices dozens or even hundreds of times a day. While research has long focused on screen time's effects on sleep and mental health, recent studies highlight physical impacts such as neck pain, spinal strain, eye fatigue, increased myopia, and hand discomfort linked to extended phone and computer use.

Dr. Shahar Wider, a senior spinal surgeon at Rambam Medical Center, notes a rise in young patients suffering from severe neck and upper back pain related to prolonged screen use. A recent study published in the Journal of Spine Surgery found that neck strain is most pronounced at the upper cervical spine, where the skull meets the first vertebrae. The research showed that bending the head forward 60 degrees to look at a phone increases the effective weight on the spine from about 5 kilograms to nearly 27 kilograms, especially when sitting, which worsens posture and spinal load.

Regarding eye health, Dr. Elinor Megiddo Bernir, head of the cataract service at Sheba Medical Center, explains that while screen use is associated with eye strain and symptoms like burning and dryness, the rise in myopia among children is more strongly linked to lifestyle changes such as less outdoor time and prolonged near work. She recommends spending one to two hours daily outdoors, taking regular breaks following the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds), and maintaining proper screen positioning to reduce eye strain.

Hand specialists also observe increased cases of repetitive strain injuries, including thumb tendon inflammation and wrist pain, especially among young users. Dr. Matan Sharaf, a hand surgeon at Sheba, cautions that not all hand pain is directly caused by smartphones, but repetitive movements without variation can lead to overuse syndromes. He advises paying attention to persistent pain, numbness, or weakness and recommends posture changes, breaks, physical activity, and hand exercises to prevent chronic issues.

All three experts emphasize that the problem lies not in the technology itself but in how it is used. They advocate for ergonomic habits such as holding phones at eye level, taking frequent breaks, spending more time outdoors, and maintaining physical activity to mitigate the physical toll of screen use without abandoning devices that are now essential to modern life.