You may have seen the recent viral news article about a study claiming that teens are growing “horns” on the backs of their heads due to excessive use of mobile devices. In this post, I am going to break down exactly what the study is alleging and give you my take on it.
The claim is that young people are developing enlargements of their external occipital protuberances as a result of chronic forward head posture while looking at their devices. The external occipital protuberance (EOP) is the attachment point for the ligamentum nuchae, a ligament that runs along the back of the cervical spine. The ligamentum nuchae helps to stabilize the head and neck and serves as an attachment site for several muscles of the neck and upper back such as the trapezius. The study in question claims that forward head posture is causing calcification of the ligamentum nuchae at the EOP, creating what is essentially a bone spur at the back of the head. A bone spur is a small outgrowth of bone that occurs in an area of soft tissue inflammation around a joint or a tendon/ligament attachment. The inflammation stimulates the cells that create bone to start depositing calcium in the soft tissue as a protective measure. Some bone spurs can cause pain, numbness, or tingling, but others are asymptomatic and may never be detected.
In theory, the idea that chronic forward head posture as the result of cell phone use could stress the soft tissue at the base of the skull so much that it could cause bony growth in the ligamentum nuchae does make some intuitive sense. Unfortunately, the authors of this particular study have failed to convincingly prove that this is happening. One glaring issue is that enlargement of the EOP is not a new phenomenon, nor has it been shown to necessarily be problematic when it occurs. The study also has serious problems with how the subject pool was selected and is completely lacking in data that would connect the subjects’ cell phone use to the development of the bone spurs. Overall, the study appears to be riddled with holes. PBS Newshour did a fairly good job of breaking down the problems with the study.
This case is a wonderful reminder that, until a study has been replicated and validated by other scientists, it cannot be taken as fact, even if it is published in a peer reviewed journal. I am interested to learn about future research on this subject, but at the moment I do not believe that this particular problem is something we need to be worried about.
That being said, there are many other musculoskeletal conditions related to the rise in mobile device use that, while not nearly as sensational as the idea of “growing horns”, are setting up young people for serious problems down the road. Looking down and directly in front of the body for prolonged periods of time is bad for everyone, but is especially concerning for teens because their bones and muscles are still growing and they are developing postural habits that they may carry with them for life. Forward head posture creates muscular imbalances that can cause pain in the neck, shoulders, back, arms, and head. It can also lead to spinal issues such as kyphosis (an exaggeration of the upper back curve), loss of the cervical curve, disc degeneration, and more. Postural education, regular exercise, and massage and chiropractic care can all help in the correction and prevention of this postural issue.
The idea that technology is causing our young people to grow new bone masses went viral so quickly precisely because it plays into our fears about a rapidly changing world. But, while we are distracted by headline-grabbing stories of bone mutation, the very real health issues that technology is already creating for both young and old alike are flying under the radar. It is important to remember the value of thinking about health from a holistic point of view and teaching our children to do the same.