I used my phone 4 hours a day — now I suffer from chronic pain and can’t sleep

Hold the phone — or don’t.

An Irish woman says she’s developed chronic shoulder pain after using her phone for up to four hours a day.

Michelle Waldron, 34, says she’s now unable to complete daily tasks after the harrowing condition came on overnight in December 2022 and hasn’t subsided since.

“I went to bed fine and woke up in agony,” Waldron declared in an interview with Jam Press.

“I was scared because the level of pain is quite severe,” she continued. “It’s an awful thing — it’s quite sharp and deep.”

Waldron says she was using her cell phone more than usual in the lead-up to the onset of the pain.

The County Roscommon local had been snowed in at her house and was spending three to four hours a day on the device.

Now, Waldren is warning people about the dangers of excess screen time.

According to PC Mag, Americans spent an average of 4 hours and 25 minutes a day on their phones in the first half of 2023, up from 2 hours and 54 minutes in 2022.

Waldron says her pain has only gotten worse in the past year.

“I can’t sleep in a bed. I can only sleep in my chair – it’s too painful in the bed and I just can’t sleep,” she claimed, saying painkillers do nothing to help.

“I can’t cook, clean or do household duties anymore, and if I’m holding things in my hand, they just fall out,” she added.

The Irish woman has far spent more than $1,000 trying to treat the problem, seeing pain specialists and chiropractors, as well as getting steroid injections.

Waldron is now hoping Botox injections will cure the problem, which has left her isolated in her home.

“I don’t want to be around people at all. I just want to be on my own, so it’s lonely,” Waldron confessed.

“It’s embarrassing and it takes a toll on your mental health; the financial cost and emotional experience are not worth it.”

Doctors have long warned that excessive cell phone use can cause a range of health problems, including sleep issues and a decline in emotional and physical well-being.

Indeed, her pain specialist confirmed the pain she was experiencing could have been caused by texting and being on her phone, she told Jam Press.

While Waldron still uses it, she strictly limits her screen time. She also uses a stylus to help her text.

“My advice is don’t be on your phone as much. Take frequent breaks, go outside and exercise,” she declared. “Do something more fulfilling than being on your phone.”