European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the link between intense smartphone usage and its association with musculoskeletal pain. Methodology: This Observational cross-sectional study was conducted using a pre-designed Google form-based questionnaire distributed via social media. The questionnaire comprises sociodemographic information, musculoskeletal pain, and its association with the usage of smartphones. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Data were considered statistically significant at P < 0.05. Results: It was observed that musculoskeletal pain was significantly associated with smartphone usage. Neck pain was the most reported pain (45%), followed by shoulder and wrist/hand pain (33%). Poor posture maintenance due to smartphone dependency or addiction was the major contributor to smartphone-associated musculoskeletal pain. Conclusion: Neck pain was found to be the most prevalent smartphone-associated muscle pain, and the severity of pain is associated with poor posture and the amount of time spent on smartphone usage.