Text Neck?

We see it everywhere we look around today, somebody on their phone, and not talking, but looking down on it because their either texting, or maybe chasing after a pokemon or some other creature. In today's society it seems like everyone has a phone glued to them and are constantly looking down at some kind of screen. So it's no wonder more and more people are experiencing shoulder and neck pain and maybe even headaches. As Family Wellness Chiropractors, your family's overall health and wellness is our biggest priority. If you are using your cell phone or tablet a lot then be sure to consider the following information.

Cervical Spine Issues

A study was performed in 2014 by Kenneth Hansaraj, MD, the chief of Spine Surgery at the New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine. The study determined that the weight seen by the spine dramatically increases when flexing the head forward at varying degrees.

An adult head weighs between 10-12 pounds in the neutral position. As the head tilts forward the orces seen by the neck surges to 27 pounds at 15 degrees, 40 pounds at 30 degrees, 49 pounds at 45 degrees, and 60 pounds at 60 degrees. These changes are what actually causes Forward Head Posture of "text neck".

How to Resolve Text Neck

Obviously the first recommendation would be to stop using cellphones or tablets for lengthy work related tasks such as emails, editing, or research.

Bringing the cellphone or wireless device to eye-level to read or increasing the text size and font to reduce leaning into the screen may also help.

Many times, it's just not logical to put your phone or tablet down until your finished with it, so taking breaks is vital.

Stand up or change positions every 15-20 minutes to reduce neck and shoulder muscle fatigue. This can include just looking up and stretching your neck. Just as looking down for long periods of time is all about repetitive stress to the cervical spine, looking up and stretching in the opposite direction may relieve the pressure on the neck/spine.

If All Else Fails

Prolonged texting with your neck craned forward, without taking a break, may cause irritated nerves and, over time, disc degeneration, headaches, and other problems. If you are in pain after using your cell phone or tablet for prolonged periods of time, then be sure to get in and see your chiropractor. Pain in the cervical spine or shoulders may be an indication that there is some form of cervical spine issue brought on by repetitive stress syndrome leading to spinal misalignments.