You have seen it in others, you have probably experienced it, and it’s getting more common.
Every time you pick up your phone you are likely to be at risk. As a chiropractor I see more younger people with neck and shoulder problems, and those prone to headaches are more likely to be at increased risk as a result.
- A recent study suggested that over-use of smart phones in office workers increased the chance of neck pain by 6-fold.
- Higher use of mobiles, in students, 18 -25 years old, leads to more neck pain, restriction and headaches. In the long run this is likely to lead to more severe problems for this age group.
- The older generation doesn’t escape either. Often pre-existing conditions are made worse with increased holding of tablets and phones and bad eyesight makes the head drop to the screen.
This is a pattern being seen around the world, but logically we will expect this to trend to increase and move down the age group, affecting the current generation of teens who have often been using mobiles from an early age. In very young children this can lead to rapid changes in the shape of bones and joints with longer term consequences.
So, what is “Text Neck” or “Tech Neck”
Does this image seem familiar?
The average head weighs 5kg – it balances on a very small bone, held in place by the neck muscles. As your head drops forwards the original 5 kg starts to seem like an increasing weight to the neck and shoulder muscles. They have to work harder and cause the neck joints to compress, giving pain and restriction. If your head grew in proportion to how the muscles felt, then its size would increase like the yellow faces.
If you want an evaluation of your neck and shoulders or links to research studies please email me on urmstonchiropractic@pm.me or complete the contact form on the website
