Call it what you will, “text neck” is affecting people in ways that may never have been anticipated with the rise of mobile technology. In days past, a lot of neck strain came from poor ergonomic setups in the workplace and the necessity to stare down at a desktop computer screen for many hours per day. Now, with the rise of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile technologies, the amount of time that people spend with their heads flexed forward looking at their devices has multiplied.
This is a problem because it places significant undue stress on the entire neck. The average weight of an adult’s head is 10-12 pounds. At a 15-degree tilt forward, the forces on the neck increase from 12 to 27 pounds. At 45 degrees that stress rises to 49 pounds, and at 60 degrees the neck is subject to 60 pounds of force. Over time, this can change the structure of the spine and cause damage to discs, ligaments, and other tissues of the neck.
What’s the Solution to Neck Pain?
Part of correcting the problem is learning to correct poor habits. Rather than craning your neck down to look at your phone, train yourself to hold it at eye level. It is also necessary to correct any damage done to the neck and spine. Upper cervical chiropractors are experts at identifying spinal misalignments in the neck, particularly those of the uppermost vertebrae. This is important since the atlas, the topmost vertebra in the neck, is the one responsible for bearing the weight of the head.
If you are working to reduce and eliminate neck pain, then ensuring your atlas is normally positioned is the key to the healing process. Upper cervical chiropractic adjustments are designed to be specific to each individual’s needs, as not everyone has the same type of misalignment. Corrections themselves are extremely gentle and designed to hold in place so that your body can begin to heal as soon as normal atlas alignment is achieved.
References:
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-deal-with-neck-crick-back-pain-2017-6
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