From 'smartphone pinkie' to 'tech neck,' doctors warn of phone injuries

FOX 2 - Unfortunately, there's no shortage of videos like this, a guy on his cell phone is distracted and stumbles over the edge of the platform and falls into the train tracks in Argentina. he was quickly rescued and is fine.

Distracted activities while using a phone is one kind of phone-related risk, but there are other ways you can get injured by simply using your phone - from 'smartphone pinkie' to 'tech neck.'

Sports medicine Dr. Dominic King from Cleveland Clinic says no one is immune to these injuries.

"It doesn't take too long for your muscles, your joints, your ligaments to get stretched and to be put in that position where they get strained," he said. "So even just some mild use every single day can open up patients to getting some of these symptoms."

Doctor King explains people can develop smartphone pinkie by constantly using it to steady their phone. The weight of the device on your pinkie can compress a nerve causing numbness and tingling. It can even leave a small indentation on the finger.

You can also experience something called 'text neck' if you scroll too long. That's when looking down at your phone begins to strain your neck,
potentially leading to muscle pain and spasms.

King says there are an array of additional injuries that can be linked to using smartphones and other technology as well.

The key to avoiding them is remembering to take a break.

"Every 20 minutes, you should take 20 seconds to look at something that is 20 feet away," he said. "What that does, is it brings your eyes up to the horizon, it brings your neck back, it brings your shoulders back, and it gives you a little bit of a break from your technology."

The best way to look at your phone is at eye level. The more you bend your neck down, the more it puts strain on your muscles.