There’s no excuse for suffering from a sore neck throughout the workday, but for millions of people around the world, the condition is all too common. A wave of chronic neck pain is causing such misery that it’s named “text neck” because of the strain that looking down on your phone creates for you each day.
Tossing your phone into the trash is one solution, but there are other ways to manage text neck for better health. It all begins with changing your behavior and knowing when you need to see a specialist.
What is Text Neck?
Text neck is a condition caused by looking down for hours each day. The problem has surged in prevalence since the start of the smartphone, as our necks aren’t designed to handle the strain of supporting our heads for so long.
Merely tilting your head down a few degrees will exponentially increase the amount of pressure put on your neck muscles and spinal cord, meaning that a few hours on your phone (or even reading a book) can add thousands of pounds of pressure over the course of a day.
How common is text neck? A study has found that almost 90 percent of American adults keep their phones within reach at all times, and our daily screen time is rising each year. It’s all too easy to spend that time hunched over in poor posture, which leads to chronic neck pain in the long run.
Three Suggestions to Eliminate Text Neck
The good news is that some simple behavioral changes can dramatically lower your risk of suffering from text neck. These three tips are a smart place to start.
- Keep screens at eye level: Don’t spend your days looking down into your lap! Instead, bring your phone up to your face for pain-free viewing.
- Monitor your posture: Are you catching yourself slumped over throughout the day? Remind yourself to straighten up when you do, and the worst of text neck will be prevented.
- Put your phone away: All that time looking at a screen is unhealthy, so give yourself technology breaks to do other activities throughout the day.
When to Visit Your Chiropractor for Text Neck
Neck pain that won’t go away is a sign that something may be wrong with your neck. If you struggle with chronic neck pain, make an appointment at our office so that we can get you on the path to better health soon. Just call (706) 677-1010 to start the conversation.