By Sandra Genest-Boudreau | Christophe O. Alves
New technologies are entering our lives at very high speed. Take a look around you, the smart phones, the laptops, the portable playing games, are all over the place. They certainly make our lives easier but they are unfortunately the cause of some health problems. Spending hours on end using these gadgets can strain spinal muscles. The young and old alike have adopted text messaging as a primary form of communication into their lives and it can be a pain in the neck – literally.
‘Text Neck’ is a term to describe the neck pain, the headaches, hand and shoulder pain created by the frequent and prolonged use of mobile texting devices. The combined effects of minuscule key boards, tensed postures and repetitive movements are just a few of the causes that subject the text addicts to aches and pains.
The crunched-over posture and forward neck flexion have unhealthy consequences on the neuro musculo skeletal system. As the head moves forward the centre of gravity shifts and the weight of the head dramatically increases.
There is a strong association between the forward flexion of the neck and weakness of breathing muscles. This posture is recognized to provoke muscle strains in the neck and back. It interferes with the proper motion between the spine and the ribs and it may even lead to a loss of the normal curve of the neck: the cervical spine lordosis. A survey was conducted with 6,000 chronic headache sufferers and the only common finding among them was the loss or reversal of the normal curve in the neck.
Finally, the anterior head posture increases compression on the intervertebral discs and can lead to premature osteoarthritis and disc herniations.
Since these gadgets are used in great numbers by the young population (33% of teens send more than 100 texts per day) they have to be made aware of the long term disastrous effects of their bad posture. Warn your child about the dangers of continuous texting. Let them know that it is serious if they are experiencing pain and swelling in their joints. Parents probably do not expect their child to give up their cell phone, but they should ask them to consider cutting back on their use and encourage them to adopt a correct posture.
Here are a few tips to help limit the amount of damage you are doing to your neck while using a mobile device:
– Take regular breaks. It is never a good idea to do any repetitive task for long periods of time. Make it a habit to take a break regularly to let your body recover.
– To avoid bending your neck downward, hold your phone directly in front of your face while texting or reading messages.
– Put your laptop or your tablet computer on a table or desk whenever possible. If not possible make sure your elbows are supported and just remember to keep sitting up straight and keep your shoulders back.
If you have to use your computer of telephone for work or in your daily life, talk to your chiropractor. He or she will recommend the proper posture to adopt depending on your way of using it, and will help to minimize the negative impacts on your spine. If you have your cell phone or your tablet at hand as you are reading this article, visit our website www.algarvequiropratica.com
If you’re already suffering from text neck, you should go and see a chiropractor to rebalance your posture. It is not normal to feel pain while maintaining a proper posture.
Chiropractors deal with neuro-musculoskeletal conditions on a regular basis and do so successfully. With specific hands-on approach, they adjust the spine to help restoring proper joint function. Through these chiropractic adjustments your body is given the opportunity to heal itself naturally. The end result? You are healthier and pain free, allowing you to live life to the full once again.
So, don’t wait for neck pain to dictate your life-see a chiropractor today!
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Sandra Genest-Boudreau is French-Canadian, who graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 1990 before coming to the Algarve in 2002. She is passionate about adjusting all her patients, particularly children. Christophe Alves graduated from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic (AECC) UK, and has a special interest in Sport Chiropractic. Algarve Quiroprática clinic: EN125 in Pêra | 282 312 853 | 969 397 375
