The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between smartphone addiction and back pain, function, and lumbar stabilizer cross-sectional area and thickness compared with non-addicted teenagers.
Smartphone prolonged use has been suggested as a risk factor for psychological, visual, and musculoskeletal dysfunctions. The musculoskeletal dysfunction may be related to direct contact use with smartphones as in thumb, elbow, and neck pain. Moreover, indirect long use of smartphones may affect thoracic, lumbar, and lower limbs. COVID-19 pandemic occurred in a time of outstanding scientific progress and global digitalization. Therefore, smartphone usage became a must for human connection, learning, and entertainment, providing psychological and social support. In the meantime, it was observed a significant increase in overuse and addiction, especially in young and teenage females. The addiction is associated with more musculoskeletal abnormalities when compared to non-addict users. Several studies found an association between smartphone usage and back pain, concomitant with a reduction in thoracic extensors activity. This back pain may affect their quality of life and work-related productivity. However, the relationship between back dysfunction and smartphone addiction is still unclear. A few attempts were done to elucidate this relationship. Yet if proven correct, then preventive measures such as recommendations and precautions regarding smartphone use could be distributed to users by the manufacturers. Furthermore, engineering solutions are needed to optimally design smartphones to alter their weight and sizes to minimize potential adverse effects.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
136
Outpatient clinic, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo university
Dokki, Egypt
Assessment of back function and disability
Functional disability will be assessed by the Oswestry disability questionnaire, a functional scale assessing the impact of LBP on daily activities. It is a self-administered, 10-item questionnaire: the first section rates the intensity of pain and the others describe its disabling effect on typical daily activities. The score for each item ranges from 0 to 5, the score is calculated by the addition of the values assigned for each of the 10 individual questions
Time frame: at baseline only
Musculoskeletal assessment By Ultrasonography
Ultrasonography will be used for measuring CSA and MT of LMM. Muscle thickness measurement by US.
Time frame: at baseline only
Core muscles strength
Core stability will be measured using prone and supine bridging as bridging maneuvers seem to be practical, reliable, and valid methods of reflecting lumbar spine stabilization endurance capability. In prone bridge each subject will be in the prone position, supporting on the elbows. The elbows will be spaced shoulder-width apart, and the feet were set with a narrow base, but not touching. The subject then asked to raise the pelvis from the floor so that only the forearms and the toes were in contact with the floor. The shoulders, hips, and ankles were maintained in a straight line.
Time frame: at baseline only
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