Chiropractic + Wellness

The human head is heavier than most people realize. Weighing an average of 10 pounds, the head can put a great deal of pressure on the neck when placed in different positions – especially when constantly looking down at your phone.

The damage caused to the neck from time spent staring at mobile screens has been given the name “Text Neck”, and it is a growing problem among not only teens but for everyone.

How Constantly Looking Down at Your Phone Ruins Your Neck

Your body is well-designed to bear the weight of your head when you maintain good posture – but tilting your head down to look at your phone is not good posture. In fact, for every inch you move angle your head downward, you double the pressure on your spine.

Looking at your phone can put an extra ten or twenty pounds of pressure on your neck. That would be worth noting even if you only did it occasionally, but most people spend hours looking at their phones throughout the day. That amounts to hours of excessive pressure on the soft tissues that make up your neck – pressure that will inevitably lead to inflammation and discomfort if left unchecked.

According to this article featured in the Washington Post, the pressure you put on your neck by bending and staring at your phone is much like bending your finger back as far as it will go, and then keeping it in that position for approximately an hour. Day after day, such stress is bound to lead to complications.

Injuries that Can Result from Text Neck

The strain put on the neck by text neck is enough to cause mild to severe injuries, including:

• Sore muscles
• Inflamed Tissues
• Pinched nerves
• Herniated discs
• Elimination of the natural curve of the neck

These injuries can cause considerable pain and discomfort and may lead to further health complications. They can lead to neck and back pain that can last for years.

How to Avoid Text Neck

Smartphones offer numerous benefits and opportunities for enjoyment, so it is unlikely that most people will stop using them. Luckily, there are things you can do to protect yourself, including:

Use Your Eyes, Not Your Neck

One of the simplest ways to avoid text neck is to look down with your eyes instead of tilting your head down. While it may not be practical to always use this technique, it is certainly useful in many circumstances. Your eyes can tilt down with little effort and can allow you to lessen the tilt of your neck as you use your phone.

Strengthen your Neck & Shoulder Muscles

You will inevitably do some head tilting as you use your phone throughout the day. Strengthening the muscles that support your head is one way to protect your delicate neck tissues and maintain mobility. Simple exercises like turning your head each way repeatedly and using your hands to provide resistance can make your neck much stronger. Your shoulders also provide a lot of support for your neck. Shoulder exercises can increase the stability of your neck as well.

Be Aware of Your Head Position

Just maintaining awareness of how your head is tilted as you use your phone can help you avoid excessive tilting. Practice looking at your smartphone with your head upright to remind yourself of what good posture feels like, and pay attention during the times you deviate from good posture.

Effective Treatment for Neck Pain

If you are experiencing neck pain from text neck, or from any other type of injury, chiropractic can help. Please contact us now to schedule your appointment and get some relief!

Text neck is a very real condition that is caused by staying in a prolonged “texting” position – hunched shoulders and neck tilted forward. As a result, the back, neck, and shoulder muscles become overworked and your spinal structure is actually changed. Many people who spend a lot of time on their mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, develop this condition (and others including “cellphone elbow” and tendinitis of the wrist and hand) and it can be very painful, even causing mobility problems. More than 95% of Americans have a smartphone or mobile device and most people spend a great deal of time on their devices – it is easy to see how this is a common problem.

What Exactly is Text Neck?

A normal human neck has a slight curve to it that travels along the spine. It is part of the intricate system that supports the head and body. However, a person with text neck will have a straight cervical spine. Their neck will not have that slight curve and that is a problem.

The cause of the absence of the curve is because of the position that the head stays in for such long periods of time. The average adult human head weighs between 10 and 12 pounds. When the head is upright, the neck supports it and the slight curve gives it the stability that it needs.

When you keep your head tilted forward, such as when you are hunched over your smartphone or mobile device, your head is thrust forward instead of sitting over the balanced curve of the cervical spine. The gravitational pull is greatly increased and the neck is already in an unnatural position. This combination places unnatural and damaging stress on your neck. It is like carrying around an additional 60 pounds on your neck.

Symptoms of Text Neck

In the early stages of text neck, a person may feel some tightness in their shoulders, neck, and upper back. This may progress to discomfort in those areas and eventually pain. If left untreated, you can develop pinched nerves and herniated discs.

Your central nervous system begins at the base of your skull, so it extends down your neck and upper back. When you put unnatural pressure on your neck, you are also affecting your nervous system, causing it to malfunction. This can lead to pain throughout your body, stiffness, headaches, low back pain, and problems with your hands and arms.

How to Prevent Text Neck

Text neck is surprisingly easy to prevent. Your first step is awareness. Over two or three days, take some time to be very aware of your body’s position. Carefully examine your posture while you go about all of your daily activities. It is important to remember that text neck is not strictly confined to texting. You can get it any time you have your head bent down for an extended period of time, such as when looking at a laptop screen or even writing for a long time.

The best way to avoid the problem is to keep your devices at eye level. If you have a handheld device, hold it up at the level of your eyes instead of bending your neck to look down. The same goes for your laptop; arrange it so that your screen is at eye level.

Chiropractic for Text Neck

If you are already suffering from the effects of text neck, your chiropractor can help reverse the condition if it hasn’t progressed to disc degeneration (even then he or she can help with associated pain). Regular chiropractic treatments, along with following expert recommendations for screen heights, can help reduce the pain and discomfort. It is smart to address these issues before they become a bigger problem. Your chiropractor can help.

Chiropractic Neck Pain Treatment