(KRON) – Yikes – this may be a good incentive to put down your phone a little more often.
Australian researchers have found evidence linking one’s frequent use of mobile devices to altering physiology.
According to the study, researchers are seeing horn-like bone spurs appear on the skulls of younger adults, who are the most frequent users of cell phones.
The research shows that because those who use their cell phones regularly tilt their heads forward, that shifts the weight of the head from the spine to muscles in the back of the head.
That then causes bones to grow in the tendons and ligaments, resulting in a horn-like spur growing from the base of the skull.
The study analyzed 1,200 X-rays, a third of which showed the bone spur, with the frequency decreasing with age.
Subjects analyzed were between the ages of 18 and 30, 41% of whom had strange growths ranging in size from 10 to 30 millimeters.
Larger spurs were more prominent in younger folks, according to researchers.
Genetics and/or injury were ruled out as causes for the horns, according to the study.
“Our findings raise a concern about the future musculoskeletal health of the young adult population and reinforce the need for prevention intervention through posture improvement education,” scientists noted in the report.
The study isn’t all that new. The findings were published at the end of 2018 and was recently analyzed even more in a report by The Washington Post.
Doctors say giving up mobile devices for extended periods of time and good posture can help reduce one’s risk to developing such horns.