When Your Tech Is a Pain In Your Neck
By Kate Gardner
Does this sound like you? Your shoulders are tight and your neck hurts, but you don't remember any injury that may have caused it. You wonder if maybe you slept funny last night but, come to think of it, you've had this pain for a while now. Why are you in pain? You may have a case of text neck!
Text Neck
What the heck is text neck? WebMD.com says that text neck (also commonly called tech neck) is part of a new spectrum of injuries people are suffering from now that we spend so much time on our high-tech gadgets. Text neck occurs as a result of looking down at your phone or tablet to text (or scroll mindlessly through Instagram).
Your head weighs about 12 pounds. When you tilt your head forward, as you do when looking at your phone, it increases the pressure on your neck. A forward tilt of 60 degrees puts 60 pounds of pressure on your neck! That's a lot more pressure than your neck is meant to deal with and can cause injury.
Symptoms of text neck include:
- Headache
- Neck pain
- Shoulder pain
- Shortened and tightened neck muscles
- Rounded shoulders
Treatment
Healthline.com has tips for dealing with text neck. If you can, the best bet is to prevent text neck from happening in the first place. You can do this by minimizing the amount of time you spend on your phone or tablet. If that seems too far-fetched to work, try to hold your device up higher so that you aren't bending your head forward. There are even apps that can help monitor your phone usage and posture!
If you're having a hard time preventing text neck, there are exercises you can do to help strengthen the muscles in your neck. These include doing an exaggerated nod, chin tucks, and various yoga positions.
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care is a great option when you're dealing with neck pain. Chiropractic adjustments of the upper spine and shoulders can help with the joint dysfunctions caused by text neck. This non-invasive, non-addictive care can help reduce inflammation and pain in the affected area while increasing flexibility and range of motion. Chiropractic care is easy at The Joint Chiropractic. With flexible hours and no appointment necessary, The Joint Chiropractic lets you fit chiropractic care into your busy and high-tech life.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, visit your local chiropractor in Dallas, Tex.