Do you currently have neck-related pain? Do you also use a smartphone or other devices regularly throughout the day? As your chiropractor may tell you, your neck pain may be due to using smart devices, since it causes us to look down at an angle that isn’t healthy for our posture. This condition called “text neck” refers to pain that stems from texting, which begins in the upper back and neck. This is a growing issue that chiropractors treat, because of how often we use our smart devices.
Most people spend two to four hours (or more!) on their phones texting, browsing the internet, emailing, or playing games. If you add that up to a year, this means a person may be spending thousands of hours with their head down in a forward angle that pulls on the neck and its nearby ligaments and muscles.
What Is The Main Contributor of “Text Neck”?
The leading culprit of text neck is bad posture. When looking down at the phone or playing video games, the stress on our upper spine and neck increase. On average, the human head weighs around a dozen pounds. But, when you angle your head down at a smart device, it becomes the equivalent of sixty pounds. Because of heavy device use, our necks may absorb four times as much pressure as they are used to.
The cervical spine has an important role in enabling the following:
- Protects your nerves that run along the inside of the spine, down to the brain, and then branches to the rest of the body
- Works as a shock absorber to safeguard the brain from jarring jolts and movements
- Allows you to move your head up and down, and side-to-side
- Gives the bones in the neck structure, supports the skull, and protects the spinal cord
Can “Text Neck” Lead to Further Problems If Left Unaddressed?
Yes, text neck can lead to further complications of the musculoskeletal system. Chiropractors have seen people become permanently bent slightly forward from the upper back and neck because of text neck. These people may need to use a cane, otherwise, they may fall over when walking. An example like this is an extreme case but is an avoidable condition with some simple lifestyle changes and regular visits to a chiropractor. Text neck can contribute to the following issues:
- Headaches
- High blood pressure
- Fatigue
- Breathing problems
- Thyroid issues
- Pain in the upper back, neck, and arms
- Neck arthritis
- Disc degeneration
- Vision problems
Your chiropractor is not there to judge you if you believe you have a case of text neck. Your local chiropractor wants to help you feel better and improve your health, so they have the best of intentions to create a personalized care plan that suits your needs. Get help from a neck pain doctor from Mid Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic as soon as possible.