There are health conditions people have to deal with today that is associated with the prolonged use of technology. You may have experienced tension or pain as a result of some specific activities, such as checking your phone several hours a day, right? You may have noticed issues of “text neck” becoming common. There are different ways to fix text neck issues, and chiropractic care is one of them.
What Is Text Neck?
Text neck is a health concern that is caused by repeated stress on the spine and neck. It is a result of constantly looking down, particularly at electronic or handheld devices. This posture is known as the Forward Head position. It results in pain in most cases.
Text neck is due to the long hours people spend with their heads bent down looking at their devices. The Forward Head position, at varying degrees, can put pressure on the neck. With increased pressure and weight, ligaments, tendons, and muscles get pulled out of alignment. With time, these muscles weaken and the soft tissues get damaged.
Text neck is a health concern that can permanently change your posture and spine. It is more of a concern for children nowadays than adults. This is because children’s bodies are more malleable and can grow into a bad posture.
Symptoms of Text Neck
In most cases, text neck is already at an advanced stage by the time people find out that they are suffering from it. Text neck pulls on the upper neck and the spine, pinching the nerves. This leads to misalignment. It can cause pain as well as weaken the spine. When the spine is weakened, the communication between the brain and other parts of the body becomes poor.
The symptoms of text neck may vary from one person to another. If not treated, it may result in permanent spinal damage. Some symptoms of text neck may include:
- Balance problems
- Curving of the spine
- Headaches
- Hunchback
- Spasm of the muscles
- Pain in the upper back, shoulders, neck, and arms
- Pinched nerves
- Vision problems
Causes of Text Neck
Bad posture is the number one cause of text neck. This is due to the head being bent forward when you use your mobile devices. This increases the stress on your upper spine and neck. Moreover, spending so much time texting on social media leaves your neck in an unnatural position. This is unhealthy for the upper spine and neck.
As time goes on, the natural curvature of your spine will be pulled in the wrong direction as a result of hours of bad posture. Also, as the neck bends in the wrong way, the long hours of sitting will weaken the upper back and muscles in the neck.
Being in an unnatural position will cause damage to the tissues in the neck and around the shoulders. You may not experience much pain in the early stages of text neck. Even if you do, the pain may come and go. However, text neck may lead to a lot of pain over time if left uncorrected.
Chiropractic Care Can Fix Text Neck
Understandably, patients will not all of a sudden stop using their devices. Asking them to stop looking down at all times is also not an option. However, you must be aware that the use of electronic devices or texting can lead to bad posture… which can cause text neck.
Raising your device to the position of your eye level is one simple solution. It will help minimize the pressure on your neck because your head will no longer slouch forward. Additionally, it will help you stay in a neutral position.
Furthermore, chiropractic care is an effective treatment for text neck. Chiropractors are qualified professionals that can help correct the misalignment of the vertebrae that have affected your spine and neck. When you meet a chiropractor, a physical examination (and in most cases X-rays) will be done to determine the extent of the problem. These examinations are necessary to know how advanced the condition is. To restore proper functioning of the nerve, alleviate symptoms and correct the problem, a treatment plan will be designed by the chiropractor.
As part of your chiropractic care, you will be offered treatment through exercises, stretches, and spinal manipulation. This care should help strengthen weakened muscles and relieve misalignment and pain.
Naturally, you should go to a chiropractor if you experience text neck. Treatment is non-invasive and non-surgical. It’s safe.
Protecting Yourself From Text Neck
Do all you can to avoid activities that will put you in the Forward Head position. Doing things like simply raising your phone to a higher position will go a long way in reducing the amount of pressure you put on your neck.
Additionally, long hours of sitting are not good. You can improve your posture by standing up and moving around for at least 5 minutes per hour.
You can take proactive measures to avoid text neck now that you are aware of the problems it can cause. Doing so will ensure that you keep your cervical spine in a healthy position.
Furthermore, it helps if you see a chiropractor now and then. They will help you correct misalignment in your vertebrae that may cause text neck or any other health condition. Frequent visits to a chiropractor will go a long way in ensuring that your spine is well protected, and your nervous system keeps functioning properly.
Conclusion
Text neck is a condition that can cause you a lot of pain. Luckily, you can avoid it when you avoid straining your muscles constantly. Need help dealing with text neck pain? Make an appointment at Thrive Health Center in Jacksonville, Florida; Call 904-683-9397 today!
