The world has undoubtedly evolved so much since the introduction of technology and its innovations. Today, we can now complete tasks and projects very quickly with the help of these innovations.
Smart devices like mobile smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other display devices have benefited communication, information gathering, internet navigation, etc. You may not know this, but your smartphone may hurt your spine and other body parts.
Yes, excess use of these devices can also adversely affect our general health. One prevalent issue that can arise from the excess use of smart devices is text neck, and a change in natural body positions mainly causes it. This article will highlight the dangers of text neck by explaining how your smartphone is hurting your back.
What is Text Neck?
Text neck, or text neck syndrome, as it is also called, is a repetitive stress neck injury caused by adopting an unnatural neck position for an extended period. Having your head in a forward position or taking up a pending posture will often subject your neck and spine to intense stress levels.
As a result, your shoulder muscles and surrounding ligaments are torn or damaged to create the condition known as text neck. Here are some common symptoms of text neck.
- Intense pain in the neck, shoulder, and upper back region is the prevalent symptom of this condition. The pain can either be sore across a broader region or sharp in a specific spot. You may also feel flashes of headaches from time to time.
- A change in a natural posture can also characterize this condition. You may notice a slight deconditioning or imbalance in your chest and upper back, making it challenging to maintain a perfect sitting position.
- At an advanced level, you may experience significant mobility restrictions in your neck area. In other words, your neck becomes stiffer than usual, and movement becomes tougher.
The text neck condition is often caused by an extended period of an unnatural posture. It is mainly experienced by people who spend more time operating phones and computers because they tend to adopt unnatural positions while at it.
How to Prevent Text Neck
Text neck can be a severe condition, and patients often feel a degree of discomfort in the period. Of course, they can always find solace in the fact that this condition can be corrected, but this may be another case where prevention trumps cure.
The pain and discomfort often associated with text neck can be overwhelming sometimes, so you may want to avoid it by adopting preventive measures before it occurs. You can also avoid a worse condition if you spot the symptoms at their earliest stages.
Here are some valuable tips for preventing this dreaded condition and its painful effects.
- Raise or Readjust The Device: The most common cause of this condition is an ached back or neck while using your smart devices. Hence, the best prevention tip would be to avoid situations that prompt an arched back or neck. Since we can’t avoid using these devices altogether, the best solution is to hold your device up at an angle where you don’t need to bend to operate it.
- Take Breaks: No doubt it is easy to get engrossed in an activity or session on your devices. However, you may want to be deliberate about how long you maintain a posture to about risking s text neck. Experts advise that you create intervals and take breaks from these activities to straighten your neck and back. You may want to set alarms to help you remember when to pause for a much-needed break.
- Practice Good Postures: Whether sitting, standing, or carrying out any activity, it is crucial to take up correct postures that align your spine in a natural position. The wrong posture will see you develop physical health problems like chronic body pains over time.
- Exercise Regularly: Exercises are the best way to strengthen your body parts and keep them flexible. Since a solid and flexible neck and back can easily handle extra handle pressure, it is safe to say that exercising is an excellent method for preventing text neck.
Best Correction Methods for Text Neck
As earlier stated, people with already advanced stages of text neck syndrome can also rest assured that this condition can be corrected. It often involves correction programs effective for the cause, and they include;
- Posture Correction: The first step to correcting text neck syndrome is addressing the root cause, which is a change in a natural posture. Like knee and back braces, neck braces also exist for this purpose and are effective for neck and spine alignment. The best braces can help you correct your posture and place you on a part to recovery.
- Exercises: Exercises are the perfect way to ensure physical relief, especially in cases involving muscles and ligaments. They can help prevent this syndrome, but they are equally effective for correcting a well-advanced condition. You can book an appointment with a qualified physiotherapist to help suggest exercises and stretches that address and reverse muscle imbalance. Some perfect exercises to alleviate text neck include neck stretches, yoga, low-impact aerobic conditioning, etc.
- Chiropractic: This is a mechanical alternative to regular medicine used to diagnose and treat physical conditions like muscle imbalance. Since the text neck is essentially a misalignment in the vertebrae, it may be an invitation to visit a chiropractor. They are well equipped with the knowledge needed to realign your muscles and correct chronic text neck syndromes.
Conclusion
Smartphones are significant technological innovations, and their benefits are immense. Hence, believing they can have severe adverse effects is often difficult.
But as unbelievable as it may sound, it is accurate, and this article has highlighted how your smartphone is hurting your spine. Text neck is no joke, and the dangers are as real as they can get. Thankfully, this article has also highlighted the best exercises, braces, and correction programs for text neck syndrome.
