Text neck, a popular new buzzword for describing an overuse syndrome that affects the neck of frequent phone users, is an increasingly common overuse syndrome involving the head, neck and shoulders. This is usually resulting from excessive strain on the spine from looking in a forward and downward position at any hand held mobile device (such as a mobile phone, video game unit, computer, mp3 player, or e-reader). This can cause headaches, neck pain, shoulder and arm pain, dizziness, breathing compromise, and much more.
The human head weighs about a dozen pounds. 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. Imagine having to carry 60 pounds of weight constantly with one arm everyday! Your arm would suffer greatly from that!
According to a recent article in The Washington Post, that’s the burden that comes with staring at a smartphone — the way millions do for hours every day, according to research published by Kenneth Hansraj in the National Library of Medicine.
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.
Smartphone and tablet users spend an average of two to four hours per day hunched over, reading e-mails, sending texts or checking social media sites. That’s 700 to 1,400 hours per year people are putting stress on their spines, according to the research. This does not bode well for the health of our cervical spine over time!
Text Neck Symptoms
If you are stuck in an unnatural posture of looking down for a continuous prolonged period of time, it will result in the following:
- Extreme soreness and neck pains.
- Cramping and tightening of muscles and nerves across the shoulders
- Severe chronic headaches
- Dizziness
- Numbness and tingling in fingers
Recently doctors have observed increased curvature in the spine. Also observed were early onset of arthritis in the cervical spine, decreased lung capacity, and early stage of cervical spondylosis. If you ignore the problems listed above, a ‘text neck dizziness’ may lead to severe problems like inflammation of the neck muscles, ligaments and nerves. It may finally even result in permanent arthritic damage as well as increased spinal curvature. There certainly are ways to relieve you of your muscular pain and discomfort, but the most important criteria is you must stop the overuse of your smart devices. Simply put, limit the time you spend on your tablets and smart phones.
You can absolutely be at your best health just by making some simple changes to your daily posture and by working towards healthy lifestyle.
Hansraj noted that though it is “nearly impossible to avoid the technologies that cause these issues, individuals should make an effort to look at their phones with a neutral spine and to avoid spending hours each day hunched over.”
As the old saying goes, that is easier said than done. But just having an awareness is step one. Acting on it is the next step.
If you have not already done so, consider adding a regularly scheduled 30-minute focus massage session into your life. This will definitely help relieve the pain and symptoms of this increasing syndrome. Our technological society has not only had a big impact on how we interact with each other, but also it is starting to have a big impact on the massage therapy industry. More and more people are looking for alternatives to pain-relieving and muscle-relaxing medications, and the hands-on techniques available via massage might be the ticket you need to get you on the right path. If you have not already done so, adding a regularly scheduled 30-minute focus massage session in to your life will definitely help to relieve the pain and symptoms of this increasing syndrome.
Not only does massage therapy provide some very needed downtime in a quiet and peaceful setting, it can also work out the kinks and “knots” in tight and stressed muscles created by hours spent on computers and other high-tech devices.
Muscles, ligaments and tendons all benefit from massage—but so does the mind. Thus, it is a holistic approach (perhaps even a solution!) to one of the many modern day syndromes plaguing society today. What have you got to lose! Visit a massage therapist for a 30-minute focus massage and I guarantee you will feel better within a few short visits. If you live in the Buffalo, NY area, come visit me at The Body Essential, conveniently located in the Georgetown Square in Williamsville (corner of Sheridan & Evans). For the month of March, you can receive a 30-minute focus massage from me for only $30.00 (regularly $40.00). Call today (716) 626-4466! Your neck, body, and mind will thank you!