Text Neck: A Modern Epidemic
Text neck is the term used to describe the neck pain and damage sustained from looking down at your cell phone, tablet, or other wireless devices too frequently and for too long.
Beyond using tech devices, there are many other times that we find ourselves with our necks in a flexed position. Everything from reading a book, doing homework, eating or even vacuuming and gardening. The truth is, that we spend a great portion of every day with our necks in an unnatural position.
Text neck is most commonly linked to conditions such as neck pain and upper back pain. Along with those issues, shoulder pain and upper back tightness are very common.
Something else that occurs as an effect of text neck is nerve compression in the base of the neck. This contributes to the neck pain, but also leads to radiating pain, tingling, and/or numbness into the arms and hands. I have seen countless numbers of patients come in with symptoms that they thought were the result of carpal tunnel syndrome, only to find out that there is nothing wrong with their wrists. The cause ended up being nerve pressure in the neck, as a result of text neck.
The best way to avoid text neck and the myriad of symptoms that come along with it, is to take steps to avoid causing text neck in the first place. Things like raising computer monitors so that you are looking straight across at them, makes a big difference. When using a cell phone, try to hold the phone up in front of you instead of looking down at it. When doing tasks that require you to look down, like reading and writing, try to take frequent breaks to stretch your neck into extension.
The only true way to know if you have text neck and whether or not your symptoms are as a result of this condition, is to have an x-ray taken of your neck. The x-ray is a black and white test that can definitively tell you whether or not you have a problem.
The good news is, that Chiropractic care is very successful in helping restore normal alignment to people’s spines who have text neck. If you or someone you know is suffering with symptoms like the ones discussed earlier in this article, a simple x-ray at a chiropractors office could be the answer.