Using mobiles and laptops with poor posture may increase risk of dementia, physiotherapist warns

Using mobiles and laptops may increase the risk of dementia, a physiotherapist has warned. 

Analysis suggests that the posture people adopt while using their devices can reduce blood flow to the brain, which leads to cognitive decline.

Dr Solomon Abrahams has reviewed research on the subject and says ’emerging evidence and clinical trials have indicated the potential consequences for cognitive and neurological health’.

He said: ‘The persistent pressure on the arteries by holding your head in a forward position, as many people do when looking at their phones, can lead to a chronic reduction in the diameter of those arteries, potentially reducing the amount of blood which can reach the brain. 

Analysis suggests that the posture people adopt while using their devices can reduce blood flow to the brain, which leads to cognitive decline (Stock image)

Any restriction in these blood vessels may cause a decrease in blood flow to the brain, resulting in various brain-related diseases.’

Dr Abrahams, who lectures at the Imperial College of Medicine and University College London, added: ‘We are all guilty of it. 

‘Alzheimer’s is going to become more prevalent as the population ages, but this research points to our daily habits of poor posture from staring down at our phones as a potential cause of an increase in cases.’

He also said that ‘my advice is to hold your phone somewhere where you don’t need to bend forward’, adding: ‘Take a positive step in your spine and brain health by using your phone when you can keep your neck in its natural alignment, and when you use a laptop, adjust your working environment to support a healthy posture.’