How to Avoid the Painful Side Effects of Gift Giving

By The Joint Chiropractic

The holiday season is a popular time to buy the latest technology for loved ones, but if you have a new phone or the latest video game system wrapped beneath your tree, you may also be giving pain along with it.

Text neck, a condition in which the continual use of technology causes neck pain and discomfort, can cause serious health risks. It happens most often when you bend over to read text message, browse the internet or gaze at video game screens and controllers. And with the large amount of technology and gadgets gifted over the holiday season, cases of text neck will be rampant.

The severity of text neck symptoms will vary from person to person, but tend to be more prominent with an increased level of activity on the phone or device used.

These symptoms may include:

• Soreness
• Stiffness
• Pain to the shoulders, neck and upper back
• A slight curving of the spine
• Increased headaches

There are solutions for this type of pain. Of course, curbing technology use might be the most obvious one, but if you can’t pry the controller from your child’s hands this winter break, there are other options, as well:

Lift Your Device

Try lifting your device to eye level. You might feel silly at first, but you’ll be protecting the health of your neck and spine for the long term. If you don’t want to lift the device, then leave the device low, but avoid bending your neck and look only with your eyes. Another option is to rest your neck while using your device. Use a headrest, a pillow, or even a wall to hold your head up instead of holding it bent for hours at a time.

Limit Your Time

This is a harder one, but giving yourself and your family members time limits for device use will ease neck pain. Try to only use your phone whe you have somewhere to rest your head at the same time.

Chiropractic Care

Since text neck often causes actual misalignment of the spine, chiropractic care can help. A chiropractor can use spinal manipulation to properly align the spine and keep it healthier and pain free. And at The Joint Chiropractic, we treat children, as well as adults, so aligning the spine of the child who is never without his phone is no problem.

To get some help and care from a chiropractor, walk into The Joint Chiropractic any time. Walk-in appointments and affordable pricing make it possible for everyone to get the care they need to protect their neck and back this holiday season and in the year ahead. A chiropractor at The Joint may be able to align your spine and put your neck in better shape so that you can enjoy your technology now and for years into the future.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this page are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.