Is Pokemon Go destroying your health? Pokemon Go is the new craze and is sweeping across the nation. \u00a0Everywhere you go you see people playing this game with their phone. \u00a0Just look around ASU, Mill Ave., Kiwanis Park Tempe, Freestone Park Chandler, or just any statue or land mark, people of all ages are there. \u00a0It is amazing how this App has motivated to get people out waking and exercising like never before. \u00a0I have been trying to inspire people for years with my 6 weeks to wellness challenge and struggle to compel people to get out and move everyday. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This new APP seems to offer the motivation many people need to get out and exercise. \u00a0Research shows that walking 10,000 steps a day or 5 miles is one of the single most important components of overall wellness plan. \u00a0People who walk and move daily show much greater health outcomes. \u00a0They take less drug, need less surgery, have better mental clarity, avoid insulin resistance, keep weight off, have less pain and inflammation, and have overall better moods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how could Pokemon Go be bad for us? \u00a0It is not the walking it is the constant looking down at your phone that can be bad for your spine. \u00a0Chronic forward next flexion that we see in texting and Pokemon Go is the problem and can destroy your health over time. \u00a0I have written about \u201cText Neck\u201d \u00a0in the past and described that relationship of the neck being flexed forward for long periods of time that leads to early joint deterioration and degenerative arthritis. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The head weighs 12 lbs on average and those postural muscles that hold up your head get over strained with chronic neck flexion. \u00a0Try this experiment, \u00a0grab a 12 lb bowling ball and hold it over your shoulder inline with your forearm. \u00a0You will feel it is heavy but you should be able to comfortably hold it like this for 20-30 seconds with little trouble. \u00a0Now try to hold it forward of your forearm about 35 degrees. \u00a0This is about the forward flexion that it takes to play Pokemon Go or test on your phone. \u00a0Now haw long can you hold that 12 lb bowling ball? \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So you can see that over time these postural muscles will get over worked and tired. \u00a0In fact they are already overworked and tired for sitting at the computer at work all day. \u00a0Much like car accidents this is the reason that I see so many patient come in with neck pain and headaches. \u00a0When the neck goes from a normal c curve to a strait curve or even worse a reversed c curve it is only a matter of time before you will start to show decreased range of motion, headaches, altered balance, preconception, and even lower back pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n