How Text Neck May Be Impacting Your Life
That nagging crick in the back of your neck has a name. It’s called Text Neck. Yes, that’s a real thing, and it causes real pain for millions of people. Consider that the average person spends 5 or more hours per day looking at their phone. Constantly craning your neck forward and down, as is the motion of looking at your mobile device, places excessive strain on both the spine and the muscles and ligaments supporting the cervical area.
This strain can cause painful muscle spasms in the neck and shoulders, as well as the upper and lower back. The constant weight of the head pulling against the vertebra in the neck can cause spinal misalignment and herniated discs, which can result in limited range of motion, headaches, and painful movement in the cervical and thoracic area. Left untreated, the pain can become chronic. In some cases, it can create neurological problems due to pinched or stressed nerves.
Text Neck Begins with Poor Posture
While poor posture is the fundamental culprit that causes text neck, the added weight of the head being held at an unnatural angle is what causes pain and potential damage to the cervical spine.
Poor posture and looking down aren’t really new activities, but the advent of the mobile phone in recent years has been viewed as a significant contributor to what is now commonly referred to, and diagnosed as, text neck. There is growing concern in the medical community regarding an increase of adolescent patients reporting neck pain which practitioners believe to be associated with long periods of looking down at their phones.
Chiropractic Care Can Alleviate Text Neck Pain
Chiropractic care can help alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with text neck. In addition to providing immediate relief for cervical discs that are out of alignment due to excess strain, chiropractic care can teach you how to hold yourself with correct posture to help prevent neck and upper back pain from recurring.
Treating text neck with chiropractic care can include manipulation of the cervical spine to adjust vertebrae to their natural alignment. The use of localized therapeutic massage to relieve tense muscles can provide tremendous relief, as well as the use of low-frequency or ultrasound stimulation of the affected area.
Regular chiropractic care ensures on-going spinal health. If you have neck pain that is unrelated to an accident or injury, you may be suffering from text neck. We recommend calling your local chiropractor to discuss treatment options.
Posted In:
Neck Pain
Chiropractic
