Abstract
This study aimed to assess the association between smartphone use in the sitting posture and changes in thoracolumbar kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and pelvic asymmetry in adolescents with low back pain (LBP). Twenty-five adolescents with LBP and 25 healthy adolescents participated in this study. They were instructed to sit on a height-adjustable chair with their hips and knees bent at 90° for 30 min in their usual sitting postures. Thoracolumbar kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and pelvic asymmetry were measured using a three-dimensional motion capture system. Thoracolumbar kyphosis and lumbar lordosis increased after 30 min of sitting compared to the baseline. In both groups, thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis angle increased with increasing sitting time. Compared to healthy adolescents, adolescents with LBP presented greater thoracolumbar kyphosis and lumbar lordosis after prolonged sitting. Pelvic asymmetry showed no significant difference between the sitting time and groups. Using a smartphone during prolonged sitting may lead to a slumped posture; these associations were more pronounced in adolescents with LBP.
Highlights
Pelvic asymmetry showed no significant difference between the sitting time and groups
Using a smartphone during prolonged sitting may lead to a slumped posture; these associations were more pronounced in adolescents with low back pain (LBP)
The average duration of pain in the LBP group was 8.56 ± 1.96 months; 88% of patients (22 patients) with LBP reported that the pain worsened in the lumbar flexion posture, and the remaining three patients reported that the pain worsened during lumbar extension
Summary
Over the past 10 years, both the time and frequency of smartphone use have increased rapidly [2]. All parts of the body, including the head, neck, shoulders, wrists, hands, and trunk, are used while using a smartphone. It has been reported that muscle activity and muscle fatigue of the neck extensors increase as the flexion angle of the neck increases during smartphone use [4,5]. A study on the spinal posture during smartphone use in a standing posture showed that thoracic kyphosis and trunk inclination increased during all tasks [6]. In a review study on smartphone use, it was found that neck flexion angle increased more in the sitting posture than in the standing posture, and the use of a smartphone could cause musculoskeletal pain [7]
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