Text Neck is an overuse syndrome or a repetitive stress injury to the neck caused by holding your head in a forward and downward position for extended periods of time. When holding your head in this position, excessive amounts of tension are created in the deep muscles of your neck and across the shoulders causing both acute and chronic neck pain.
The human head weighs about a dozen pounds. But as the neck bends forward and down, the weight on the cervical spine begins to increase. At a 15-degree angle, this weight is about 27 pounds, at 30 degrees it’s 40 pounds, at 45 degrees it’s 49 pounds, and at 60 degrees it’s 60 pounds.
Cervical spine
source: www.spine-health.com
Over time, researchers say, this poor posture, sometimes called “text neck,” can lead to early wear-and-tear on the spine, degeneration and even surgery.
Signs and Symptoms of Text Neck
Text neck may have one or more of these signs and symptoms:
- Instant or delayed-onset upper back or neck pain when using a handheld device,
- Nagging or sharp pain in the neck or shoulders at the end of the day or postural fatigue,
- General shoulder pain and tightness,
- Head forwards of neck posture,
- Intermittent or constant headache made worse when looking down or using the computer.
If you have text neck or have noticed more neck pain after using mobile devices, here are some tips to treat it.
Practice good posture
The average head weighs 10 to 12 pounds. But did you know that weight more than doubles when your head is tilted forward just 15 degrees? Worse yet, many people who text with their chin near the neck are tilting the head forward 60 degrees, which increases the load to about 60 pounds.
With that in mind, try to keep your head and spine in neutral positions with the ears directly above the shoulders throughout the day. For example, hold your phone or tablet up a little higher, closer to eye level to minimize stress on your neck. If you have a desk job, remember basic things such as using a chair that helps your backstay upright, keep your feet flat on the floor, and position your monitor at eye level to avoid looking up or down too much.
Improve strength and flexibility
Performing some neck exercises and stretches on a daily basis can help treat text neck as well as reduce the risk of painful recurrences. When your neck muscles are strong and flexible, they’re better able to hold good posture and less likely to have a painful spasm.
Keep in mind that muscles in your chest, shoulders, and back play key roles in posture as well. For example, people with text neck also tend to have tight and weakened chest muscles from hunching over too much. Many of these muscles work together, so it’s a good idea to keep all of them strong and flexible.
Take breaks
Movement is good for the spine, including your neck. When possible, try to take frequent breaks from staring at phones, tablets, and computers. If you have a job that requires talking on the phone a lot, consider getting a headset to avoid holding or cradling the phone by your head for long periods of time—it puts less stress on your neck and has the added bonus of allowing you to move around more
Turn technology in your favor
There are phone apps available that can detect when your phone is being held at a bad angle for your neck. When the app senses a bad angle, it alerts you to hold the phone up higher.
Other ideas could include setting reminders on your phone for taking breaks throughout the day and using a pedometer to track steps and activity levels—becoming more active and spending less time looking down at a screen is a good thing.
If you have arm pain, tingling, or weakness in addition to neck pain, that could be a sign of a pinched nerve and should be checked by a doctor.
I hope these tips help you find relief from neck pain while you’re busy keeping pace in today’s digital world, and as always, stay healthy.
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