Help! Do I Have Text Neck?
Text neck is an all-too common ailment these days, for both adults and children. Hours and hours spent looking down at a cell phone or tablet every day takes a toll on the muscles in your upper back and neck and can lead to both acute and chronic neck pain.
A study showed that 79% of the population between 18 and 44 years of age have their cell phones with them almost all of the time, and only two hours of the waking day spent without a cell phone in hand.
What are the symptoms of text neck?
Text neck most often presents itself as neck pain and soreness, however, pain can often be felt in other areas. Upper back pain, shoulder tightness, even pinched cervical nerves are all conditions that can point back to bad habits with digital devices. If left untreated, text neck can lead to inflammatory issues in the neck, nerve irritation, and even increased spinal curvature.
Common symptoms of text neck include:
-Upper back or neck pain that starts the minute you pick up your hand-held device.
-Sharp pain in the neck or shoulders at the end of the day.
-General shoulder pain and tightness.
-Headaches that get worse when using your hand-held device.
How is text neck treated?
Similar to other neck pain issues, chiropractic care and massage therapy can be very effective for treating text neck. First, we’ll want to pinpoint the cause of your text neck. Is it your posture while you are using your device? Is it the amount of time you’re spending on your device? Or is it a combination of both? Are there other injuries or issues that could be adding to the acute or chronic pain? Once we have a solid understanding of what is causing the pain, we will come up with a plan to get you feeling better fast.
Beyond chiropractic care, neck stretches can be incredibly helpful in reducing the strain from text neck. It’s also important to reevaluate your posture and usage habits. We can help you make sure you are in a safe position when using your cell phone or tablet. We can also help you make a plan for better cell phone habits.
Are you feeling the painful effects of text neck? Total Body Chiropractic & Massage treats adults and children and unfortunately we see many patients damaging their bodies with bad posture and overuse of digital devices. Let us help you manage the pain and your cell phone so text neck will be a thing of the past.