Text Neck is becoming an epidemic

“Text neck” is becoming an epidemic

 

Text neck is the term used to describe the forward posture that people develop from looking down at phones, tablets, and laptops etc. The increased use of this technology has led to long-term health effects that can become irreversible after several years. Dr. Hansraj, chief of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine is quoted saying that poor posture and “text neck” is becoming an epidemic1. For every inch the head tips forward, the pressure within the neck and upper back can go up 2-fold. If your head weighs 10 lbs and is 2 inches forward from normal alignment, your neck and upper back are carrying the equivalent of a 40 lb weight instead of the 10 lb weight they are designed to handle.

The good news: Chiropractic care can help! By restoring normal joint function of the spine, we can help reduce the pressure in the neck and upper back. Combining chiropractic with changes such as bringing monitors and phones up to eye-level, taking frequent breaks from technology, and being more conscious of posture can all work together to bring “text neck” back to normal alignment.

At Kauffman Chiropractic, we can help with neck pain and back pain associated with poor posture. We can also help to identify if posture may be a cause of neck pain, back pain, or headaches by using digital posture screening analysis. With this tool, we can actually measure if forward posture exists, and use software analysis to determine how much pressure is being placed on the neck and back from posture changes. Please call us at 513-444-4529 for a posture analysis and exam to find out how we can help!

 

1.     “Text neck” is becoming an epidemic and could wreck your spine. Washingtonpost.com