Being attached to a smartphone, may not seem like a big deal now, but research shows it has more than a few serious downsides later on in life. Virtually unheard of two years ago, “text neck” is a repetitive strain injury that’s becoming more common as more people hunch over smartphones.
When your spine is in a neutral position, the head weighs about 10-12 pounds. Changing the position of your head increases the weight and stress on those muscles and nerves the added weight can cause a lot of damage.
The good news? “text neck” can be treated. First, prevention is key. Here are several pieces of advice for preventing the development or advancement of text neck:
Take Breaks
Limit the amount of time and frequency that you use your device throughout the day. If you have to use it for an extended period of time, make sure you’re taking breaks, changing your posture and moving around. Develop a habit of taking a three-minute break for every 15-20 minutes you use your device.
Look Forward
When using digital devices, it isn’t uncommon to tilt your head down read or view content. Rather than perpetually causing muscle strain, raise your device to eye level if possible. Utilize devices if needed that will help prop your device up so you don’t have the bend your head causing excess weight and strain.
Use Pain As A Warning
Pay attention to these warning signs and act quickly to make changes to reduce or eliminate any head-forward posture that is straining your neck. If you begin experiencing numbness in your neck, upper back or between your shoulder blades there may be other serious problems that would need to be addressed with a pain specialist.
The bottom line is to avoid excess pain and stress being put on the neck from digital devices. As a general rule, the sooner you seek treatment the more likely it is that you’ll have success in treating the problem.
If you need to seek out medical assistance from a professional, Arizona Pain Treatment Centers is here to help by providing pain management treatments in order to ease the pain. To learn more about the pain treatment options available at Summa Pain Care, call (623)776-8686 today.
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