‘Text neck’ epidemic loading: Continuous scrolling causing nerve damage, warn Bengaluru doctors

Bengaluru: A 28-year-old man, overworked at his US-based company, started working night shifts in addition to regular hours amid layoffs. Prolonged screen time and poor posture led to severe symptoms of “text neck” — a repetitive strain injury caused by constantly looking down at screens. What started as tingling and numbness progressed to complete weakness in one arm and a bulging cervical disc, eventually requiring complex surgery.

With screen time rising and posture worsening, doctors say text neck cases are increasing, with at least 2-3 patients coming for treatment daily. “We’ve seen a consistent increase in people walking into OPDs with what we commonly term text neck or tech neck. Earlier, this was more common among desk workers or older adults, but now even teens and college students are presenting with similar complaints due to excessive screen use,” said Dr Vijay Girish, senior consultant, sports orthopaedics, arthroscopy and robotic joint replacement, Hosmat Hospitals.

He added, “Several studies indicate a steep rise in neck-related issues due to heavy smartphone use among students and young adults. The shift became more prominent after the pandemic as studies, work, entertainment, and social interaction all became online.”

Dr Akshay TM, consultant, orthopaedics, Prakriya Hospitals, explained, “Text neck is caused by sustained forward head posture while looking at screens. Tilting the head forward increases pressure on the cervical spine, straining muscles, ligaments, discs, and joints. Over time, this causes muscle fatigue, abnormal joint wear and tear, and sometimes, nerve irritation.”

Text neck usually begins with neck pain and stiffness. “The pain gradually spreads between the shoulder blades and shoulders, followed by headaches and fatigue. In advanced stages, nerves get involved and shooting pain radiates down the arms, sometimes causing weakness in one arm,” said Dr Arnav P Urs, orthopaedics consultant, Apollo Clinic.

Children are also increasingly affected due to online classes, gaming, heavy backpacks and prolonged screen exposure combined with poor posture. “It is worrying because their spines are still developing, and poor posture at a young age can lead to long-term musculoskeletal problems,” Dr Girish said.

Doctors said treatment is usually conservative, with physiotherapy playing a key role. “Initial care includes correcting posture, short-term pain relief, if required, and physiotherapy to strengthen the neck and upper back muscles. Ergonomic changes, home exercises, and gradual return to physical activity are important. Severe cases may need imaging and specialist review,” Dr Akshay said.

However, doctors say nomophobia — fear of being without a mobile phone — is becoming a major barrier to recovery. “People don’t want to reduce screen time. Doomscrolling also makes them sit in awkward positions for long periods. We advise keeping phones at eye level and taking breaks every 20 minutes,” Dr Urs said.