The breakfast table. The conference room. The subway. The sidewalk. The coffee shop. It doesn’t matter where you are. All around you, people’s heads are bowed over their mobile devices.
Our obsession with mobile communications is taking a toll in the form of the dreaded text neck. And it’s no wonder.
That melon on top of your neck is heavy. It weighs, on average, between 10 and 13 pounds. That’s a lot of weight to having dangling from the top of your spine and your cervical vertebrae don’t like it one bit.
So, this post is about how to avoid text neck overuse syndrome by incorporating some good habits into your mobile device activities. By doing these simple things, you can avoid having to come see me and the team here at Back & Body for a realignment.
Some key adjustments
As I pointed out above, it’s looking down at your device with your head bowed that’s the problem, so the first thing you need to do is to bring your screen up to eye level.
Next, you’re not going to sit there texting for long periods of time, as even at eye level, texting can lead to muscle strain in the neck and shoulders. If you text a lot at home, lie on the couch with your device held up in front your face.
When texting in a standing position, check your posture. You shouldn’t be slouching. You should be standing up straight, with your shoulders relaxed and your core engaged.
Something that goes a long way toward avoiding text neck is regular strength training. A strong body is harder for pain to get at. It still happens – just less often.
But you needn’t heft weights to be strong. Excellent strength training activities which also align your body include Yoga and Pilates.
Stretch
A lot of people don’t think stretching matters, meaning that a lot of people need a reality check. Stretching is one of the most under-rated fitness activities going. It keeps your muscles healthy and prepared to respond to your body’s needs.
Here are some great neck stretches:
- Tuck your chin slowly into your chest. Slowly raise it from this position until it’s pointed at the ceiling.
- Slowly turn your head to look over one shoulder. Then do the same, in the other direction.
- With your arms relaxed at your sides, rotate your shoulders gently forward several times. Then do the same in the opposite direction.
Back & Body Medical
Our award-winning facility in Manhattan is changing the way pain is approached. Here, we practice multi-disciplinarian care, with my chiropractic services being supported by acupuncture, physical therapy and sports medicine services.
This clinical model renders exceptional results for our patients. With a focus on addressing root causes, the team here personalizes pain relief to the individual patient, so their treatment is specific and effective.
If you’re suffering from text neck already, you can still do all the things I’ve talked about above. But if you need a little extra support, come see us.
