Slips, trips, falls, and, now, forward head posture

If you are reading this on your phone, stop it.

Forward head posture, dubbed “FHP,” is fast becoming a common injury in the workplace and beyond because of people’s tendency to spend hours and hours looking down at their mobile devices, causing a looking-down posture that puts a strain on the vertebrae of the spine and neck, Safety Unlimited New Service reported Thursday.

More than just slouching at one’s desk, the ergonomics of a forward head posture or “poking chin” involves increased “extension of upper and lower cervical vertebrae and the upper thoracic regions” and is exacerbating workplace injuries, according to the article.

The article points to a recent study by Knoll Workplace Research that found that device usage “ … increases the chance for re-injury on the job and justifies the need for a variety of work furnishings to accommodate employees with incipient or pre-existing injuries.”