Experiencing back pains?  A knot in your neck that never seems to go away?  Eye strain?  Is there something wrong with your spine or is it just because you’re spending hours on end with your back stooped while using your tablet or smartphone?

According to a survey by posture app company LUMO BodyTechm, dozens of people are experiencing what’s called “Silicon Valley Syndrome,” which is manifested by eye strain, back pain and neck pain.  The survey revealed that 60 percent of Americans report having had health problems as a result of their use of technology or sitting at a desk.

Thirty-six percent of survey respondents reported experiencing eye strain, while back pain was a complaint of 30 percent, and neck pain affected 27 percent.  It was determined that women, at 63 percent, were more likely to say they have experienced health problems related to the overuse of technology than men, only at 56 percent.

Surprisingly, 18-34 year-olds are more likely to reduce their use of technology to alleviate health symptoms compared to those aged over 45, as they are more likely to resort to taking medication to deal with the discomfort they are experiencing with the use of technology.

It was also determined that those living in the West Coast, where Silicon Valley is, are more likely to experience technology related health problems compared to those in the Northeast.

“Technology is not evil – in fact, it has made all of our lives easier and more enjoyable,” said LUMO Co-Founder and psychiatrist Charles Wang, M.D.

“But if we continue the trajectory this survey reveals of abusing technology to the detriment of our health, as usage continues to increase, it will become increasingly critical that we use it mindfully. Otherwise, we could be in for a series of pandemic level health crises over the next 20 or 30 years.”

“This is why we’ve published this Guide to Silicon Valley Syndrome,” Wang said, “which includes tips for how to set and achieve goals around building health habits for using technology, and for using tech itself to help counteract the problem.”

This study comes after reports of further technology-related illnesses hit the headlines last week. It was reported that people are experiencing motion sickness with the new iOS7. To alleviate some of the unpleasurable feelings, Apple recently published some tips and tricks in using the new iOS.  Though that might help fanbois maximize the use of their devices, this doesn’t really help alleviate the feeling of technology sickness.

Most of us are guilty of being too hard on our eyes, back and neck, when it comes to using our favorite devices.  It’s too awkward to lift your arms up high so you can level your smartphone or tablet with your eye, which results in you resting your forearm on your lap or rest your arms your side, your forearm slightly raised, but at the expense of straining your back and neck just so you can see the screen of your device.

What if I told you there was a device that would help you alleviate your back and neck pain while allowing you to enjoy the use of your mobile device?

The i90 Heads-up tablet and smartphone glasses might just be such a device. It’s a Kickstarter project by Matt Franklin.  The glasses allow you to see comfortably as they let you look down without having to tilt your head forwards.  This is possible because the glasses refract your sight by 90º downwards, thus it was named i90, making easy to keep your neck and back straight while using your tablet, e-reader, or smartphone.

The i90 looks really familiar right?  That’s because there are other products out in the market that promise the same thing, such as the Andux Periscope Glasses and Bed Prism Spectacles sold on Amazon.  They all function in the same way, allowing you to enjoy reading or watching TV while lying down, without having to strain your neck and back.  But what makes i90 different is that it is less bulky which makes it lighter and more comfortable to wear.

The idea for the i90 came to Franklin while traveling with his face down for hours whilst using his iPad or iPhone.  During one particularly long flight, Franklin thought of combining a periscope with eyeglasses to allow him to see his device without having to stoop or look downwards.

This is not Franklin’s first product with regards to correcting a person’s posture.  You might be familiar with PostureNOW, a posture brace that consists of two arm bands connected to each other with a strap that goes across your back to maintain proper posture.

People may brush products like these as useless or nonsense but I’m pretty sure your back and neck will be grateful once you start focusing on your posture.  Your back will feel a lot better and you’ll feel more confident standing stall.

i90 is still a Kickstarter project so if you want to see this product available in the market, you can help fund the project to reach its $45,000 goal.  It still has 36 days to go, so tell your friends about it.

Quick Tips to Help Alleviate Techno-Sickness

Though sitting for hours in front of your computer may not seem like such as bad thing, it really is. It can inhibit proper blood circulation, eye strain, neck and back pains, and a lot of other physical ailments.  So here are some quick tips to prevent Silicon Valley Syndrome from hitting you:

1. Take a quick break every hour or whenever you can.  It can be as simple as standing up and doing some stretches or going to the toilet to relieve your bladder.  This helps your blood to properly circulate and your eyes get a break from constantly staring at your computer.

2. Drink lots of water.  Though it may sound totally unrelated, it’s not.  Drinking water helps flush out toxins and it refreshes you.  So even if you forget to take a quick break, your bladder will remind you that you need to stand up and go to the little girl or boy’s room.

3. Set a daily limit.  This may be hard to do especially when your main work tool is a computer.  So limit your computer, smartphone or tablet use when you get home.

4. The 20-20-20 Rule.  This is a trick to help prevent eye strain and future eye problems. When you have been using any device for 20 minutes straight, take a break by looking at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.  Blink a few times to help your eye muscles relax, then go back to what you are doing.  This will prevent the development of near-sightedness in the future.

Infographic source: LUMO BodyTech

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