05/01/2025
Poor posture isn’t just a pain in the neck—it may also be stressing your heart!
A new study in Cureus reveals that “text neck” posture—caused by prolonged smartphone use—can disrupt your body’s natural balance between stress and recovery. Researchers found it increases sympathetic nervous system activity (your stress response) while decreasing parasympathetic activity (your rest and repair system). This imbalance was linked to changes in heart rate variability (HRV), a marker for cardiovascular and emotional health.
Background The increasing use of mobile devices has led to a rise in forward head posture (FHP), or "text neck," contributing to health issues. Additionally, nomophobia, or the fear of being without a mobile phone, has emerged as a growing behavioral concern, particularly among younger users. Method...