Do I Have Text Neck?
If you suffer from chronic neck pain you may be asking yourself, “Do I have text neck?” In this blog we will discuss what text neck is and some simple steps to avoid it. Although, text neck is not an official medical diagnosis yet, but could soon be one. With so many of us using our phones as a personal computer for everything from checking email to shopping, the number of people suffering from text neck will continue to climb.
Text Neck
Text neck is most commonly described as any kind of neck pain or neck condition that is the result of chronic forward flexion of the cervical spine. This does not have to be from just using text messages but that is how our obsession with phones started. The problem is now we no longer just send text messages with our phones we use them all day for a number of different tasks. Cell phones are like little personal computers in the palm of our hands. Many people spend 8-10 hours a day using their phone and 90% of this is while looking down. Most major companies have departments to improve employee ergonomics son that they can reduce repetitive work related injuries. However, little attention has been spent on how we use our cell phones.
Text Neck Cause
Your head weighs approximately 10-12 lbs and is held up by 7 small cervical spine vertebrae. When the head is held forward to look down at a cell phone the weight of the head extends out in front of the center of gravity resulting in a significant increase in compressive forces on the lower cervical spine. In an article by Veritas Health they suggest that looking down at just a 45 deg angle with increase the relative weight of your head to 50lbs. And looking down at 90 degrees will increase the relative weight of the head to over 60 lbs. Now the body is designed to look down over and over all day long but what it is not designed to do is to look down constantly without motion for long periods of time. When we check our email or shop for some new shoes on the web we find ourselves looking down for 20-30 minutes at a time without even thinking about it.
Text Neck Symptoms
This type of compression leads to posterior cervical muscle strain, compression and dehydration of the lower cervical discs, and shortening of the anterior cervical muscles. These physiological stresses can lead to neck pain, headaches, arm pain, arm numbness, jaw pain, degenerative joint disease, bone spurs, and other proprioceptive disorders that can effect balance. A study done in April of 2020 done by The Journal of Exercise and Rehabilitation showed that a temporary forward head posture can effect balance and coordination. No one likes to be in pain so when they feel the pain in their neck when they look down they often will try to make some changes in their cell phone ergonomics, but degenerative arthritis is silent and balance issues may not be related at first to their cell phone use. Understanding how posture effects our health is critical to our overall wellness. Just asking the question “Do I have Text Neck?” is a great first start.
Solutions for Text Neck
- Hold your phone up at close to eye level as possible
- Take frequent breaks, every 5 min at least
- Keep your shoulders pulled back
- Switch arms every few minutes
- Set your phone on your desk tilted toward you on a cell phone stand
- Exercise regularly to keep the posterior shoulder muscles strong
- Stretch your chest muscles regularly
- Use your computer as much as possible for tasks that will require long periods of screen time
- Sleep on your back with a cervical curve enhancing pillow
Conclusion
If you answered “Yes” to the question “Do I Have Text Neck?” then you may want to get evaluated by a chiropractor to see if there is any long term degenerative changes that need to be addressed. A chiropractor will be able to asses the current stated of your cervical spine motion, posture, and give you specific home care exercises for you to adopt before permanent damage is done. Here at Reed Chiropractic our doctors are trained in evaluating these type of neck issues and have treated thousands of patients over the past 20 years. To schedule an evaluation with on of our doctors click or call us here at Reed Chiropractic in Tempe.
Reed Chiropractic
250 W. Baseline Rd. #107
Tempe AZ 85283
