Can Technology Make You Unhealthy?
By Donna Stark
You eat the right foods, you exercise daily, and you drink plenty of water, but you still have low energy and suffer from daily back and neck pain. Why is that? On paper, you seem to be a perfectly healthy and athletic person who does everything right, but in real life, that may not be the case. In fact, you may be making a critical mistake with how you hold and carry your body. Fortunately, you can find relief in the fact that you aren't alone ... millions of people do the same thing that you are doing ... but you won't find any relief in the results that come from it. And that's because poor posture (specifically forward head posture) can cause serious health problems down the road.
Forward Head Posture
It happens so slowly, most people don't even realize it. But if you want to sleep better, look younger, think clearer, reduce pain, and get rid of those annoying headaches by correcting just one thing, keep reading!
Forward head posture is also known as tech neck and tech neck is exactly what it sounds like. There probably isn't a day that you aren't looking down at your phone or laptop, and if that doesn't alarm you, just take a look around to see how many people are doing it as well. The angled necks, the hunched shoulders, the curved backs. Truthfully, you should be able to draw a straight line from the ears to the shoulders to the hips, and if you can't, it is a sure sign of tech neck. So how does this posture end up hurting you down the road? Well, let's take a look at what it can lead to.
- Excess stress and pressure on the spine, neck, and shoulders
- Significant muscle and nerve damage
- Low energy and fatigue
- Headaches and migraines
- Poor sleep
- Arthritis
- Joint dysfunction and degeneration
- Decreased lung capacity
Pay Attention to Posture
Regardless of how much time you spend preparing your meals or counting your steps, if you don't pay attention to your posture, you will have a harder time achieving the health and fitness results you are aiming for. Spending hours each day craning your neck over some device in your hand or on your desk can eat away at your health in ways you never imagined and can contribute to serious medical issues in the future. But now you don't have any more excuses. You know the effects that posture can have on your overall health and wellness, so take some action today! Be mindful of how you are sitting, walking, and standing and keep your head in a neutral position. It's time to make those changes today, before it's too late!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in La Verne, Calif.