These days almost everyone has some sort of tablet, phone, or device that they spend a good amount of time looking down at. But, did you know that this is starting to cause neck and upper back problems...even for young kids?
‘Text Neck’ is a term that doctors have started using to refer to the neck pain and damage that is becoming prevalent for their patients. They have linked it to the frequent and numerous hours that many people spend hunched over looking at some type of wireless device.
A study recently revealed that 79% of people between 18-44 years of age carry their cell phones with them at all times. An even more staggering statistic is that only 2 hours during their time awake is spent without their phone on them.
Symptoms of text neck include:
- Pain and stiffness in the neck
- Pain in the upper back that can be nagging and sharp, and can include severe muscle spasms.
- Tight and tense shoulders, which may also cause muscle spasms in the shoulder.
- In severe cases, nerves can become pinched in the cervical area, leading to pain that radiates all the way to your hand, as well as other issues.
If you believe that you may suffer from Text Neck, there are measures that you can take to stop the progression of this ailment. Even if you don’t have any symptoms, you can benefit from the following tips because it means you can implement new methods and prevent it from eventually occurring to you.
- Try to keep your device at eye level, rather than bending your neck forwards to look down.
- Give yourself regular breaks; about 20 minutes away from your device in order to move around. This gets your blood flowing to all parts of your body and relieves pressure off of your neck for a little bit.
- During one of your breaks, it can be helpful to lie on your back in order to completely relieve pressure from your neck.
- Every now and then, arch your neck and back to stretch out these areas and relieve some tension.
- Using proper posture is a great way to prevent neck strain. Keep your back straight, shoulders back, and chin tucked. This places the body in an aligned, neutral position.
- Build core muscle strength. You would be surprised at how much your body needs your core muscles to maintain proper posture and prevent straining certain areas of your body.
- Strong and flexible back and neck muscles reduce instances where stress and damage can occur from repetitive overuse.
- Perform neck and back stretches in order to ease tension and promote good blood flow to these areas.
All in all, just becoming aware of how you hold your neck for long periods of time, may give you an idea of how much strain you place on your neck everyday. And, I am not just talking about the time you spend on a device...it is a common occurrence for many to bend their head forwards when walking, reading, driving, watching tv, etc.
Becoming mindful of this action, can be the first step towards the prevention of chronic neck pain.
For information about How to Improve Your Posture, (Click Here)
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