Whether you’re sending a text, scrolling through Instagram, liking a status on Facebook, tweeting your thoughts, or sending pictures through Snapchat, it’s safe to say we all spend a lot of time buried in our smartphones. I mean, come on, you can even order your groceries on your phone now!
What you may not know, is that doctors have discovered yet another negative side effect caused by excessive use of smartphones, a phenomenon known as “text neck.”
The neck muscles are designed to support the weight of the head in its neutral position– approximately 10-12 pounds. When we have our heads buried in our phones texting and tweeting and the like, our heads are at a 60-degree angle. This places SIXTY pounds of force on the neck, rather than the ten pounds of force it’s designed to carry. Our necks were not meant to withstand this amount of pressure for prolonged periods of time.
So what can you do? Apart from actually setting your phone down, looking people in the face when you talk to them rather than staring at your phone screen, and getting outside, here are a few tips to help you prevent neck pain while using your smartphone.
- Raise your phone to eye level so your head isn’t tilted
- Take a break from being on your phone, or any other head-forward posture
- Stand up straight because the better your posture, the better your body’s alignment
- Stretch your neck and upper back backward from time to time to ease muscle pain
- Exercise because it’s good for your overall health and well-being, and makes your back and neck stronger so they can endure extra stress from time to time
If you find yourself experiencing neck pain, know this, it is not normal and it is not something to ignore. Give us a call today so we can help you feel your best!
