A doctor has warned that young people are rapidly becoming “old hunchbacks” as a series of X-rays taken over two months reveal the shocking extent of the problem.
Chiropractor Jake Boyle recently created a video showing how young people’s spines are becoming increasingly deformed because of hours spent hunched over in front of cell phones and computers.
“If you’re under 35, be careful. We’re all turning into slouched old men, but there’s a reason behind it,” he said.
Dr. Boyle began by showing the patient an X-ray of what a normal spine looks like, noting that it has a slight “reverse curvature.”
“All parts of the spine are starting to curve backwards like this. That’s what we want and that’s what a good spine looks like,” he said.
He then showed an X-ray of a person born in October 1997, showing that the spine and head were positioned more forward and a hunched back was beginning to form.
“This young man is already turning into a hunched old man,” he said of the 26-year-old.
Dr. Boyle then provided further examples of how young Millennials and Generation Z, born between 1992 and 2011, all had the same spinal problems.
Some X-rays even showed horn-like growths forming at the base of the skull.
This is known as external occipital prominence (EOP) and can occur due to the forward head position increasing stress on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in that area.
In one of the X-rays, Dr. Boyle claimed that the 12-year-old patient was already showing signs of the early stages of arthritis.
“It happened just two months after I started doing X-rays. The younger generation is all starting to turn into slouchy old men because we’re all looking down at TikTok on our phones,” he said.
“Take your cell phone with you, or you’ll be a hunched-over old man with arthritis before you’re 35.”
The video has been viewed more than 4.6 million times on TikTok, with young people in the comments section asking how to prevent a spinal hump from occurring or how to reverse it if it is in the early stages of already forming. There was a rush.
“Okay, that was scary, how can I fix it?” one person said.
“I’m younger than the others and already hunched over, will I be okay?” asked another.
One commenter said he straightened up as soon as he saw the video, while another claimed that Gen Z is being “cooked from every direction.”
In a follow-up video, the chiropractor revealed a series of lifestyle changes, stretches, and exercises you can do to minimize your risk of hunchback.
If you spend most of your workday sitting in front of a computer, it’s a good idea to keep your screen at or above eye level, your arms on armrests, and your keyboard at arm level.
Dr. Boyle implored people to focus on keeping their backs straight and everything level, rather than hunched over their keyboards.
They also recommended getting up and walking around after sitting at a desk for an hour or more, since the longer you sit, the more likely your head will tilt forward.
Reclining the child seat too far while driving can have a negative impact on your child’s posture.
Sleeping position is another big factor, says Dr Boyle: “People spend eight hours a night in bed, which means eight hours a night can be shaping your spine into a bad posture.”
He said the best way to sleep is to lie on your back using the thinnest pillow possible. If the pillow is too thick, it can cause your head to tilt forward.
“Another way to sleep is on your side. As long as you use a pillow that’s big enough to keep your head down, or thin enough that your head doesn’t go up, you’ll be fine,” he says. , by placing a pillow between your legs, your pelvis is well aligned.
The “worst” sleeping position is sleeping on your stomach, which means your head is turned to the side and “remains spinning and twisting for eight hours.”
There are also many exercises you can do, and Dr. Boyle suggests a move called the “wall angel.”
“Do the snow angel by pressing your butt, upper back, and head against the wall and keeping your arms pressed against the wall,” he said.
“This will improve the strength of the muscles in the front of your neck and the mobility of your shoulders. Repeat this 15 to 20 times in the morning, noon, and night.”
