Winnipeg residents are often connected to their phones for many hours per day. But with repetitive phone usage comes repetitive strain for our neck muscles. This pressure on our necks is causing pain and strain even in younger and otherwise healthier people.
But how can our phones cause so much pain? It’s all about how we look at our phones. Constantly looking downward at our phones puts strain on our neck muscles. This strain creates a unique condition commonly referred to as “text neck”.
What Is “Text-Neck”
Neck and upper back pain is heavily influenced by the position of your head. Weighting 10-12 pounds, the tendons, muscles, and ligaments in your neck have a tough job to keep your head supported in a balanced position.
The downward position is how we most often look at phones. But this nearly triples the force on your neck, which over time leads to muscle fatigue and repetitive strain injury.
Just think about it – with the average person looking at their phone for 2-4 hours every day, that’s a lot of strain on our neck. Then consider that your neck muscles are intricately connected with your back and shoulder muscles as well. When you strain your neck holding up your head in a downward position, you also move your shoulders and your back which contributes to poor posture and more pain.
Other symptoms of text-neck may include headaches, upper back pain, shoulder pain, and muscle spams.
Tips To Avoid Text Neck
Stretch
Multiple times throughout the day, take a few minutes to stretch out your neck and back muscles, tilting your head from left to right and holding the position for 20-30 seconds. Try these neck stretches for optimum results.
Hold Your Phone Up Higher
Holding your phone at eye level will reduce the strain on your beck caused from looking down all the time. This promotes optimal spine position and reduces the need for regular spinal adjustments to correct back and neck issues.
Limit Phone Time
It’s important to try and reduce the time you spend on your phone. While we can have the best intentions for stretching and holding our heads in the correct position, the best way to reduce the risk of text-neck is to put your phone down when you can.
Try limiting your usage to about 20 min per session to give your neck muscles a chance to relax.
Check Your Posture
Find a good back and neck supporting chair to use while on your phone. This will help to maintain the correct curvature of your back and provide support for your neck.
Schedule Regular Visits With Your Chiropractor
While the above strategies will help to reduce the most serious damages to your neck muscles, only a trained and licensed chiropractor can truly assess your situation and make the necessary adjustments and recommendations to fix underlying issues.
The experienced staff at Daye Chiropractic can help you alleviate symptoms of text-neck through spinal adjustments, acupuncture, and other treatment methods.
Scheudle an appointment today and let our team help solve your neck and back problems today.