An incident that befell a Japanese man some time ago is currently going viral online, considering how long we spend looking down at our phones.
According to a report by ScienceDirect, the man was diagnosed with Dropped Head Syndrome when he was 25 years old, after constantly staring down at his phone, leading him to be unable to lift his head.
Dropped Head Syndrome is typically associated with neuromuscular diseases, but it can also occur due to spinal deformities resulting from prolonged abnormal head positions.
Prior to seeking treatment, he started experiencing severe neck pain and difficulty swallowing, which in turn caused him to lose weight rapidly. A large lump then formed at the back of his neck that made him too weak to support his head.
An MRI scan showed the devastating effects of having his head in an unnatural position for long periods. His cervical spine was damaged, out of position and had scar tissue due to excessive stretching.
The report also explained that the man was an active individual in his childhood, though he ended up being severely bullied in his teenage years.
This led to him dropping out of school and spending his time playing games on his phone for hours in his room.
Treatment
Doctors initially used a neck collar to treat the man, but that was unsuccessful, and the man began to complain of numbness. Doctors then performed a surgery to cut out part of the damaged spine and scar tissue, before inserting screws and metal rods to correct the position of the man’s neck.
About 6 months later, the man was able to lift his head easily and maintain the correct posture.
The doctors who treated the man have urged the public, especially young people, not to use their phones with their heads bowed for long periods or risk health scares like this.
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
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