Hello! Did you happen to watch WLOS last Sunday morning? If not, this is what you missed. Your Asheville Chiropractor was talking about TEXT NECK! Check it out!
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Text neck is the term used to describe the neck pain and damage sustained from looking down at your cell phone, tablet, or other wireless devices too frequently and for too long. Being on a computer and smartphone all day long is literally changing out posture to a hunched over, somewhat caveman slouch. It’s become such a commonplace problem, new treatment is being developed for it. Asheville’s Chiropractor, Dr. Nicole Lindsey stresses one very important thing that people should do everyday: Look Up. With technology and social media at an all-time high, children and teens are especially at risk for suffering symptoms of text neck. Smartphone users spend an average of two to four hours per day hunched over, reading e-mails, sending texts or checking social media sites.
The human head weighs about a dozen pounds. But as the neck bends forward and down, the weight on the cervical spine begins to increase. At a 15-degree angle, this weight is about 27 pounds, at 30 degrees it’s 40 pounds, at 45 degrees it’s 49 pounds, and at 60 degrees it’s 60 pounds. That’s the burden that comes with staring at a smartphone — the way millions do for hours every day Carrying 60 pounds would be equivalent to carrying an 8-year-old around your neck several hours per day. If you are having neck pain it might be time to stop into your St. Louis Chiropractor office and get it checked out.
Everyone is born with a curve in his or her neck. The small curve helps the head stay balanced on top of the spine, thus preventing it from falling forward. When a person slouches or juts their head too far forward, the curve is diminished. As the tissue in the neck stretches for a long period of time, it gets sore and inflamed. This can cause muscle strain, pinched nerves, herniated disks and, over time, it can even remove the neck’s natural curve. People who are frequently hunched over their mobile devices are experiencing headaches, neck pain and shoulder pain in rapidly growing numbers.it could result in the loss of a healthy neck curve.
This is why it is important for people of all ages to keep their spine healthy to maintain good posture in order to adapt to the strain texting places on your body. Come see your Chiropractor in Asheville by giving us a call today at 828-274-9799.
