Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37405530›Full record

ArticleEuropean spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society2023

Defining text neck: a scoping review.

Tatiana Grasser, Amabile Borges Dario, Patricia Carmo Silva Parreira, Igor Macedo Tavares Correia, Ney Meziat-Filho

Registry-linked trialAbstract readScoping Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06991387 (Exploring the Short-Term Effects of Myofascial Release in Text Neck Syndrome), which is not on this map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06991387 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Exploring the Short-Term Effects of Myofascial Release in Text Neck Syndrome

TypeinterventionalSponsorKarabuk UniversityRan2025 to 2025Enrolled20ConditionsText Neck Posture, Neck Pain, Myofascial Release TechniqueArmsMyofascial Release
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Effect of Global Postural Re-Education in Individuals With Text Neck Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy · 2026
    Trial
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Tatiana GrasserCentro Universitário Augusto Motta, UNISUAM, Rua Dona Isabel 94, Bonsucesso, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21041-010, Brazil. tgrasser@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1093-5283
Amabile Borges DarioFaculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4818-7017
Patricia Carmo Silva ParreiraHEOR Consultant, MAPESolution, São Paulo, Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7485-5429
Igor Macedo Tavares CorreiaCentro Universitário Augusto Motta, UNISUAM, Rua Dona Isabel 94, Bonsucesso, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21041-010, Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2307-753X
Ney Meziat-FilhoCentro Universitário Augusto Motta, UNISUAM, Rua Dona Isabel 94, Bonsucesso, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21041-010, Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2794-7299

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundText neck is regarded as a global epidemic. Yet, there is a lack of consensus concerning the definitions of text neck which challenges researchers and clinicians alike. PURPOSE: To investigate how text neck is defined in peer-reviewed articles.

methodsWe conducted a scoping review to identify all articles using the terms "text neck" or "tech neck." Embase, Medline, CINAHL, PubMed and Web of Science were searched from inception to 30 April 2022. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMAScR) guidelines. No limitation was applied for language or study design. Data extraction included study characteristics and the primary outcome relating to text neck definitions.

resultsForty-one articles were included. Text neck definitions varied across studies. The most frequent components of definitions were grouped into five basis for definition: Posture (n = 38; 92.7%), with qualifying adjectives meaning incorrect posture (n = 23; 56.1%) and posture without a qualifying adjective (n = 15; 36.6%); Overuse (n = 26; 63.4%); Mechanical stress or tensions (n = 17; 41.4%); Musculoskeletal symptoms (n = 15; 36.6%) and; Tissue damage (n = 7; 17.1%).

conclusionThis study showed that posture is the defining characteristic of text neck in the academic literature. For research purposes, it seems that text neck is a habit of texting on the smartphone in a flexed neck position. Since there is no scientific evidence linking text neck with neck pain regardless of the definition used, adjectives like inappropriate or incorrect should be avoided when intended to qualify posture.

Indexed as

Text MessagingHumansNeckNeck PainResearch DesignSmartphoneCervical spineNeck painPostureSmartphone

Identifiers

PMID37405530

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.