It’s not hard to argue that nearly everyone spends too much time on electronic devices, especially smartphones. Are you familiar with “text neck” and “forward head posture”? Can excessive cellphone use may cause your body to grow horns?
If you touch the back of your head, just above the top of the neck, you should feel a bump. It’s normal and it’s called the external occipital protuberance (EOP). The EOP is an attachment point for the nuchal ligament and the trapezius muscle. It functions to keep the head upright and tilted backward. The size of the EOP normally varies depending on race, gender, genetics, and occupation averaging around 5mm.
Electronic Device Study
In 2016, a study revealed that an alarming number of young people had spurs extending from the EOP. An occurrence that is associated with the wear and tear of osteoarthritis that can develop later in life. In the study, researchers reviewed x-rays of 218 men and women that were 18 to 30 years old. They either had back pain, neck pain, or headaches or no history of such conditions. The research team observed an enlarged EOP (EEOP for short) in 41% of participants, regardless of the presence or absence of musculoskeletal pain. However, the data did show that EEOP was 3x more common in men than women.
The same authors from the previous study conducted a larger study in 2018 that included 1,200 adults of all ages. They found that the combination of male gender, the degree of forward head protraction, and age predicted the presence of EEOP. Their results showed that being a young male with a larger amount of FHP can lead to the formation of EEOP.
The researchers suspect that the age component of their finding may be due to young adults placing a greater mechanical load on their necks due to forward head posture caused by excessive device use.
The good news is that the studies have demonstrated that forward head posture can be improved. Improvements with specific resistance and stretching exercises, monitoring your posture while using electronic devices, and reducing electronic device use. Your chiropractor can show you exercises that you can perform at home to reduce forward head posture.
