Smartphone Neck Pain: New Research on Bone Spurs & Phone Use

We've all heard wild theories about what smartphones are doing to our bodies and our privacy. It could be addiction, or cancer (not a thing), or giving up information without our consent. This may be the first time research suggests phones will give you horns, though.

Last week, the Washington Post reported on an Australian study that young people were developing bone spurs at the base of their necks. While this research is still preliminary, it could be possible that our intense relationship with tiny screens could be the cause. In short, because we're bending our necks to peer at smartphones so much, our bodies are compensating for how much weight we're bearing on our neck muscles by depositing bone matter along the tendons and ligaments at the base of our skulls.

"The weight transfer that causes the buildup can be compared to the way the skin thickens into a callus as a response to pressure or abrasion," writes the Post's Isaac Stanley-Becker. "The result is a hook or hornlike feature jutting out from the skull, just above the neck."

This is certainly a one-up from iPad neck, which is muscle stiffness that you can treat with stretches and frequent breaks. Researchers suggest that if you have "horn head," you can probably find the protrusions by feeling around the lower part of your skull. It's not something to freak out about — but it is probably a sign to change something about the way you use your daily technology.