What Is Text Neck & How To Overcome It
Do you feel like you would have a difficult time going a single day without your phone? If so, you are probably like a lot of other people. Having a cell phone with internet access is almost universally required nowadays for work, school, and everyday life. Unfortunately, getting addicted to your phone can also lead to a number of injuries. For example, you might feel soreness and stiffness in your neck. If that is the case, you may have something called text neck. What is this, and how can you overcome it? Continue reading to learn more.
Text Neck Is a Stress Injury of the Neck
Text neck is a term used to describe a specific stress injury of the neck. When you look down repeatedly, you put a lot of stress on your cervical spine. Eventually, you can impact the curvature of your cervical spine, placing more stress on the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in your shoulder and neck.
Your head is one of the heaviest parts of your body. When you look forward, your head starts to pull on your upper spine. This leads to a lot of stress on the cervical vertebrae, causing text neck syndrome. This can dramatically impact your overall quality of life.
The Signs and Symptoms of Text Neck
Similar to other conditions, text neck can cause a variety of signs and symptoms depending on its severity. Some of the most common symptoms of text neck include:
- You might feel a stinging or nagging pain in your upper shoulders and neck.
- You might experience a reduced range of motion, particularly when you try to move your head from side to side or up and down.
- You may experience severe headaches, particularly at the end of the day. It might feel like someone is squeezing your head or scalp.
- You might also feel shooting pains that travel from your neck down your shoulders.
- You might have eye pain as well.
These are just a few of the most common symptoms of text neck. Fortunately, a chiropractor can help you with this condition.
How a Chiropractor Can Help You
If you are suffering from text neck, a chiropractor can assist you. A chiropractor will talk to you about your signs and symptoms, trying to figure out the root cause of your injuries. Then, he or she will also conduct a full physical exam, grading the severity of your condition.
After this, a chiropractor will perform adjustments, making sure that the vertebrae in your back are properly aligned. Then, your chiropractor can work on your ligaments and tendons, making sure they are healthy and supporting the spine properly. Finally, a chiropractor can also help you perform exercises that can loosen up your neck, alleviating the symptoms of text neck while addressing the root cause of your issues.
Prevent Text Neck Syndrome
Even though text neck is becoming more common, it isn’t something you have to face on your own. Remember that a local chiropractor can help you if you experience signs and symptoms of text neck. Furthermore, you need to take steps to prevent this condition from happening so that it doesn’t develop into more serious issues.
While it would be helpful to limit your cell phone use, you can also use your cell phone without putting so much stress on your neck. Instead of cranking your neck forward to look down at your phone screen, lift your phone up to the level of your face. That way, you can still see what you are doing without having to look down. This can remove a lot of stress from your neck.
In closing, if you or a loved one are struggling with symptoms from text neck, give us a call. Our Doctor of Chiropractic is trained to treat conditions just like yours with gentle and effective chiropractic care. Not only will chiropractic help alleviate your symptoms but will also help you overcome the root cause of the problem and put you on a path of sustained wellness. So give us a call. We’re here to help!