Recognise ‘text neck syndrome’ as occupational disease, urges expert

‘Text neck syndrome’ is caused by a prolonged forward head posture while looking down at screens. (Envato Elements pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: Neck pain or stiffness and watery or tired eyes are often dismissed as minor discomforts, but experts warn they may be early symptoms of “text neck syndrome”.

A condition caused by prolonged downward tilting of the head while looking at smartphone or computer screens, “text neck” is a modern-day illness increasingly on the rise in Malaysia.

Students and white-collar workers who spend long hours in front of smartphones and computers are particularly susceptible to the condition, which could lead to spinal injuries.

Azlan (not his real name), 34, an information technology executive here, suffers from the condition and now undergoes weekly physiotherapy.

“It started with just a stiff neck but, over time, I couldn’t turn to the left without pain. As it turns out, my working posture was the main cause,” he said, noting that he spends more than nine hours a day in front of his computer, not including time spent on his smartphone after office hours.

According to experts, when a person tilts their head forward at a 40° angle, the pressure on the spine can increase sixfold to about 12kg, compared to the average head weight of 2kg.

This constant strain affects the muscles, ligaments and spinal discs.

Low awareness

Countries such as the United States, South Korea and Singapore have classified text neck syndrome as a form of “modern health epidemic”. In Singapore, studies have found that more than 70% of university students and nearly two-thirds of office employees experience symptoms associated with the syndrome.

In Malaysia, however, awareness of the condition remains low and there is no comprehensive official data. And while health facilities are seeing a marked increase in cases, the nation has yet to recognise it as an occupational disease.

Raemy Zein.

According to Raemy Zein, ergonomics expert at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), muscle tension, numbness, and neck and spinal pain are among the most common complaints from white-collar workers during training and audit sessions conducted by the institute.

Despite a lack of official statistics on text neck, NIOSH’s field observations clearly indicate a sharp rise in issues related to prolonged static posture, especially among digital workers, students, and online streamers.

“Public awareness, particularly among young people, is still very low regarding the long-term risks of prolonged sitting and incorrect neck posture,” he told Bernama, adding that Malaysia is still not adequately prepared to address the issue, including in terms of officially recognising text neck as an occupational disease.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act 1994, the list of diseases recognised under the OSH (Notifiable Occupational Diseases) Regulations 2022 is “still too limited and does not yet reflect the health challenges faced by digital workers” and, as such, does not currently include digital posture disorders such as text neck.

Without official recognition, Raemy said, thousands of digital and gig economy workers who suffer from the condition are not able to receive proper protection.

“This is a systemic shortcoming that requires urgent attention. NIOSH believes it is time to review and update the list of occupational diseases to include ergonomic disorders like text neck, which is becoming increasingly serious.”

Ergonomic setups at work and home can help reduce strain on the neck and back, protecting spinal health. (Envato Elements pic)

Aware that official recognition may take time, Raemy said early prevention is critical to managing risks before they turn into serious health problems.

Through training and ergonomic risk assessments, organisations can reduce injuries and protect workers, he said, adding that employees should adopt ergonomic workplace layouts and take micro-breaks every 30-60 minutes.

“Computer screens should be placed at eye level, chairs must have lumbar support and keyboards should align with elbow height,” he advised.

Growing trend among the young

Indeed, clinical experts have observed a rising trend of young patients experiencing text neck symptoms. Orthopaedic consultant Dr Manmohan Singh told Bernama he now treats more young patients for this condition than before.

“Before 2008, I rarely treated patients in their 20s for neck pain. But now, even 15-year-olds show spinal structure changes on MRI,” he said recently.

This phenomenon poses a major challenge to the healthcare system, which is not yet fully prepared to deal with the long-term impact of digital lifestyles.

Manmohan said many patients often take early symptoms – such as neck pain, watery eyes or visual fatigue – lightly and do not realise that these can lead to serious spinal structural injuries.

Dr Manmohan Singh.

He noted that younger people usually seek treatment earlier because the symptoms interfere with their daily activities, while most working adults only seek help once the pain affects their sleep or job performance.

“We’ve found that many consider neck pain to be normal; they usually just change their pillow or apply medicated oil. But when we do an MRI, we see significant changes in the spinal structure,” he said.

According to Manmohan, treatment options include physiotherapy and muscle-strengthening exercises, and educating users on proper posture. In most cases, surgery is not required.

He also stressed the importance of employers taking responsibility for their workers’ postural health by providing ergonomic setups.

Inappropriate furniture and equipment, such as chairs without lumbar support or computer screens that are too low, directly contribute to chronic spinal stress, especially when used continuously without adequate breaks.

This physical strain not only affects one’s health but also has a direct impact on organisational performance, he concluded.