Text Neck: Everything You Need to Know
If you keep up with the latest medical trends and diseases, you may have heard the name "text neck" aptly named. However, if you haven't heard of it, it sounds like neck pain/stiffness caused by staring at a mobile device repeatedly for a long time. This situation is a modern problem (obviously), and it's getting worse. As mobile phones become more common among younger and younger people, neck and bad posture for texting will become vital problems.
Text-Neck symptoms
Contrary to what you might think, your neck is not the only thing that can get hurt; it depends on the severity of the text neck. You may also experience one or more of the following symptoms:
- Stiff neck
- Radiating pain in the shoulders, arms, and upper back
- Muscle weakness
- Tension headache
More critical conditions related to the text neck:
- Disc compression
- Arthritis
- Decrease in lung capacity
How do you get text-neck?
People spend about five hours a day looking at their mobile phones, which can cause some severe neck pain. Researchers predict that seven out of ten people will experience neck pain at some point in their lives.
This is what the neck text does to your body: it compresses and tightens the muscles, tendons, and ligaments structure at the front of the neck while lengthening the muscles, tendons, and ligaments at the back of the neck. A human head weighs 10 pounds. For every centimeter of the head tilted forward, the weight that the neck must bear doubles. Over time, this additional pressure increases. But getting rid of our equipment is not a real option. Instead, to avoid neck pain caused by texting, we may ensure that we exercise appropriately and build excellent habits.
EXERCISES TO COMBAT TEXT-NECK
Strengthening and stretching your muscles can help relieve annoying neck pain. Therefore, with the help of professional chiropractors, we have compiled the best exercises and stretches without equipment. To help show text neck who's boss, incorporate these into your normal routine one to three times in a day.
1. Exaggerated node
An exaggerated nod counteracts the downward/forward position of the head by pulling the shoulders down and back and increasing neck mobility.
How to do:
1. First, sit at the desk or relax your shoulders and stand comfortably. Close your mouth (with your teeth touching but not clenching) and look up at the ceiling.
2. Stop here, let your jaw relax, and open your mouth. Now see if you can retract your head by an inch or two (usually you can).
3. Keeping the head still, move the lower jaw towards the upper jaw and close the mouth. You should feel a stretch in the front of your neck.
2. Downward-facing dog
Downward Facing Dog can be used to open the front chest wall and shoulders, which are usually rounded and taut due to overuse of technology. This pose is all about upper body strength, which means that if you don't have shoulder strength, you can compensate by squeezing your shoulders into your ears. If you notice that you are doing this, take the initiative to lower your shoulder blades back. This will create space for your neck.
How to do it:
1. Start on all fours. Tighten your toes and raise your hips, stretching your hip bones toward the
ceiling.
2. Put your heels close to the carpet, but don't let them rest on the floor.
3. Lower your head to make your neck longer. When staying here, make sure your wrist crease is
parallel to the front edge of the carpet.
4. To reduce the pressure on the wrist, press the knuckles of the thumb and forefinger.
5. Take a deep breath at least 3 times here. Then release.
3. Cat-cow
Your core and pelvis should drive the flow of Cat Cow: When you inhale, you tilt your pelvis forward and tailbone toward the ceiling, and when you exhale; you create a backward tilt that turns your tailbone toward the floor. This sequence of movements helps increase awareness of the spine, which is a large part of faulty posture.
How to do it:
1. Start on all fours, shoulders stacked over wrists, hips stacked over knees, and tops of feet pressed into the ground. Lengthen from your head to your tailbone by looking down a few inches in front of your fingers.
2. To start the "cat" phase, use your abdominal muscles to bend your spine toward the ceiling while exhaling, and at the same time retract your tailbone (the shape of a Halloween cat). Stretch your neck let your chin extend down and inward to your chest, and let your ears go down your biceps.
3. To start the "cow" phase, lower and raise the pelvis so that the abdomen touches the ground when you inhale. Extend your shoulder blades, remove your shoulders from your ears, and lift your chin and chest to face the ceiling.
4. Repeat Cat-Cow a few times to keep stress and strain from building up in the head and neck.
Prevent text-neck from taking over
1. Change how you hold your phone: Bring the screen up to eye level to avoid slouching forward or raising your head too high. Maintain a neutral spine and keep your ears aligned with your shoulders.
2. Take phone breaks: Even if it's only two to three minutes every hour, taking frequent breaks from the screen can help. The first tip for preventing and easing tech neck is to break the habit of looking down, although most people are reluctant to do so. Use a sticky note or set a reminder on your phone or computer. These minor cues can make a big difference.
3. If you experience a prolonged pain, see a pro: If you're in pain for a long time, it's a good idea to get adjusted. This will help reduce the pain while also addressing the structural difficulties that the stiff neck causes over time. And they may be on to something. Chiropractic treatment is one of the most common non-pharmacological treatments for acute and chronic neck and back pain.
Apply an ice or hot pack to the back of your neck for more severe cases of text neck; try massage therapy, and make sure to stretch and chin-tuck exercises every day. One of the best things you can do is see a chiropractor regularly to cure or even prevent text neck. A trained chiropractor will be able to assess the problem more precisely and provide a treatment plan that is specific to your needs. As a chiropractor, we can treat a wide range of ailments, including text neck. To get started, schedule a consultation today! Consult the Sheets Chiropractic Center -area chiropractor who understands what it takes to resist traditional procedures and opt for a natural approach.
