What is Text neck?
Text neck is a modern day epidemic that has been caused by the advance in technology. Everywhere we look anymore people are constantly hunched over, looking at either their phone, tablet or laptop, and it affects all ages. As we do this, we place a significant amount of stress on our cervical spine. As we move our head further away from our body, the heavier it begins to get.
Dr. Kenneth Hansraj performed a study and calculated the apparent weight of our heads at different angles. At an angle of 60 degrees, our head can actually weigh approximately 60 pounds. The photo below from Dr. Kenneth Hransraj’s study shows the different angles and weights.
How do you develop Text neck?
If you have not already developed text neck, it is entirely preventable. To ensure that you have proper posture when using your phone or tablet, hold the device so that the screen is parallel to your eyes. Another postural aspect to focus on is to keep your shoulders pulled back. As we use technology, not only do our heads come forward, we also tend to let our shoulders relax and slouch forward which can cause hunchback.
To avoid text neck, you can also perform the following exercises and stretches to help keep the neck in line. These exercises are also beneficial if you have developed text neck and would like to counteract it.
- Tucking chin towards body, while looking straight. Hold this position
- Attempting to touch elbows behind your back, this will stretch the pectoral muscles that tighten up when hunched over
- Using a Denneroll orthotic for 5 minutes per day. Denneroll orthotics can be purchased at the SpineFit location
Text neck cure
If you are struggling with text neck, schedule a consultation today and learn how you can alleviate the pain and discomfort of text neck at SpineFit AZ.
