Tech Neck
"You're pretty much guaranteeing yourself surgery in the future if you keep that up,"
can reduce lung capacity up to 30%. Source: Ford's 2016 Trends Report: Informate Mobile Intelligence.
Tips: avoiding
"tech neck" and back pain ** We are not
selling nor recommending any particular product or
exercise to correct this situation. This is simply
provided as an example of a product that is
designed to help correct Tech Neck. May I take your
picture: with your smartphone? Slouching
Linked to Anxiety and Poor Self Esteem
Source: mail.aol.com/webmail-std/en-us/suite
‘Tech
neck’ is becoming an ‘epidemic’ and could
wreck your spine That’s the burden that comes with staring at a smartphone — the way millions do for hours every day, according to research published by Kenneth Hansraj in the National Library of Medicine. The study will appear next month in Surgical Technology International. Over time, researchers say, this poor posture, sometimes called “text neck,” can lead to early wear-and-tear on the spine, degeneration and even surgery. “It is an epidemic or, at least, it’s very common,” Hansraj, chief of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, told The Washington Post. “Just look around you, everyone has their heads down.” Can’t grasp the significance of 60 pounds? Imagine carrying an 8-year-old around your neck several hours per day. Smartphone users spend an average of two to four hours per day hunched over, reading e-mails, sending texts or checking social media sites. That’s 700 to 1,400 hours per year people are putting stress on their spines, according to the research. And high-schoolers might be the worst. They could conceivably spend an additional 5,000 hours in this position, Hansraj said. “The problem is really profound in young people,” he said. “With this excessive stress in the neck, we might start seeing young people needing spine care. I would really like to see parents showing more guidance.” Medical experts have been warning people for years. Some say for every inch the head tilts forward, the pressure on the spine doubles. Tom DiAngelis, president of the American Physical Therapy Association‘s Private Practice Section, told CNN last year the effect is similar to bending a finger all the way back and holding it there for about an hour. “As you stretch the tissue for a long period of time, it gets sore, it gets inflamed,” he said. It can also cause muscle strain, pinched nerves, herniated disks and, over time, it can even remove the neck’s natural curve. It’s a risk for some 58 percent of American adults who own smartphones. Michelle Collie, a doctor who heads Performance Physical Therapy in Rhode Island, told CNN last year she started seeing patients with mobile technology-induced head, neck and back pain some six or seven years ago. Poor posture can cause other problems as well. Experts say it can reduce lung capacity by as much as 30 percent. It has also been linked to headaches and neurological issues, depression and heart disease. “While it is nearly impossible to avoid the technologies that cause these issues, individuals should make an effort to look at their phones with a neutral spine and to avoid spending hours each day hunched over,” according to the research. Speaking to TODAY, Hansraj gave smartphone users tips to avoid pain:
“I love technology. I’m not
bashing technology in any way,” Hansraj told The Post.
“My message is: Just be cognizant of where your head is
in space. Continue to enjoy your smartphones and continue to
enjoy this technology — just make sure your head is
up.” High-tech Can Be a
Pain in the Neck We live in a constantly connected world. One where anyone can reach you at any time, unless you're on a beach in the British Virgin Islands and "accidentally" drop your smartphone into the water. Other issues aside—workaholism, for one—being tethered to your smartphone can be a pain in the neck. Literally and figuratively. You've seen people like this: shoulders hunched forward, neck straining at an uncomfortable angle, squinting at the screen, thumbs a blur as they type. It's a posture most often associated with our smartphones, and it seems that most people—from your little niece to your boss—has one of these things. But it's poor posture, and it can lead to a lot of neck pain. This 21st Century problem is being called "tech neck," and it can be caused by straining your neck forward to see that screen. As you type out an email to a colleague or answer your boss' latest urgent request, you're holding your neck at an unnatural angle. And it stays there for much longer than it should, causing muscle strain and pain. Handheld device users also tend to hunch their shoulders forward. The oddly angled neck and rounded shoulders strains the entire upper body. Add general work stress to the poor posture, and handheld device addicts can feel like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. So what can you do? First, the dream answer:
That's not going to work, is it? Now, the helpful answer:
Neck Stretch #1: Chin Tuck
Neck Stretch #2: Side Bending
Neck Stretch #3: Side-to-Side Head Rotation
Ditch te Smartphone Sometimes: It Could Help Your Neck Neck pain isn't a status symbol. Never
letting go of your smartphone doesn't make you a better
worker, despite what your boss says. Take care of your body,
and do what you can to avoid neck pain, even if it means
disconnecting from a constantly connected high-tech
world. Is Your Cell Phone
Killing Your Back? Cell phones and tablets are changing the way we access information and entertainment. The use of these devices influences our posture and body mechanics in unhealthy ways that contribute to neck, upper back, shoulder, and arm pain. Furthermore, poor posture while sitting, standing, walking, or in a static position can lead to more than upper body pain and stiffness—poor posture affects other parts of the spine, such as the middle and low back. How much does a human head weigh? Typically, an adult human head weighs between 10 and 12 pounds. As the head tilts or angles forward, the cervical spine’s (neck) muscles, tendons, and ligaments support the head during movement and when static; such as holding the head in a forward tilted position. Even the neck’s intervertebral discs are involved and help absorb and distribute the forces exerted on the neck. How much heavier is the human head when tilted forward? To find out, Kenneth K. Hansraj, MD, Chief of Spine Surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, created a computer model of the cervical spine. In an article published in Surgical Technology International, he reported that this model showed that the strain on your neck rises as the forward angle of your head increases.
Now consider the fact that the average person is holding his or her head forward to look at a phone or read a tablet for 2 to 4 hours a day, according to Dr. Hansraj. Teenagers spend even more time each day looking down at their devices, he added. As you tilt your head, you also move your shoulders forward into a rounded position, which is another aspect of poor posture. All this excess strain creates extra wear and tear on the structures of the neck, upper spine and back, and contributes to/can lead to spinal degeneration that may require surgery. Postural awareness a positive first step Making good posture a habit can help prevent neck or back pain from developing, along with related posture and biomechanical problems. Good posture means that your head is upright, your ears are in line with your shoulders, and your shoulder blades are down and retracted. “In proper alignment, spinal stress is diminished. It is the most efficient position for the spine,” Dr. Hanraj said. Good posture is not only good for the health of your spine; it is good for your over-all health and mood as well as, Dr. Hansraj noted. Other researchers have found that standing straight elevates testosterone and serotonin levels and decreases cortisol levels, hormones that affect your mood, he reported. However, modern life still requires you to check your phone or use your tablet many times a day. How do you do that and safeguard your neck?
Source: www.spineuniverse.com/wellness/ergonomics/your-cell-phone-killing-your-back
'Text Neck'
and Other Tech Troubles For starters, we take on “text neck” -- and yes, according to Kenneth K. Hansraj, MD, it’s a real thing. “We did a study on the issue of poor posture and how it affects you, especially when you’re on a cell phone or smart device,” says Hansraj, chief of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitative Medicine. “It’s a lot of load, an amazing amount of weight to be carrying around your neck.” Just how much load does that constant downward-looking gaze put on the neck muscles? “When your spine is in neutral position, the head weighs about 10-12 pounds,” he says. “At 15 degrees [forward], the neck sees 27 pounds. At 45 degrees, it sees 49 pounds, and at 60 degrees, it’s 60 pounds.” That’s 60 pounds of weight stress on muscles and nerves that are meant to handle 10-12 pounds of stress, and that much load can do a lot of damage over time. “When you have such aggressive stressors on the neck, you get wear and tear on the spine,” Hansraj says. “You can develop tears within the disc, or even get a slipped or herniated disc.” The end result? “We’re seeing tons of patients who have neck pain, and really when you look at the MRIs, they are fairly normal,” he says. “When we straighten them up and get them some physical therapy, they do a lot better.” Feeling the Crunch Aletha Chappelear, DC, an Atlanta-area chiropractor, says she often sees patients with aches and pains that turn out to be related to their tech. “We’re seeing it a lot, especially in teenagers and older adolescents,” she says. “We’re so into our electronic devices, and what we’re doing is holding the device at chest- or waist-level, and looking down at the device. It’s causing neck muscles to be shortened and tightened, and shoulders to be rounded forward.” The upper part of the spine is normally curved, she says, to allow nerves plenty of space to pass through the neck and out into the body. But when you crunch that space down, it can cause major problems down the line. “There is a big cluster of nerves in the area between the neck and the shoulder,” she says. “Any compression, irritation, misalignment, muscle spasms, or tension in this area can cause pain that spreads out all the way down to the fingers.” Lying down with your head propped up at an awkward angle, and talking on the phone with the device pinned between your ear and your shoulder, are just as bad. Any kind of neck, shoulder, or back pain requires some sort of attention, she says. You can:
Thumb Blues On to the next area of concern. Heard of so-called “Blackberry thumb”? That's an injury you get from texting for hours with your thumbs. It can cause long-lasting damage as well. The thumb isn't very nimble. "It is really designed as a stabilizer for pinch-gripping with a finger. That is why you only have two of them, not eight," says Alan Hedge, PhD, professor of ergonomics at Cornell University. Repeated stress on delicate tendons in your wrist and thumb can lead to painful conditions like tendinitis. Experts have written about cases of thumb problems and other tech-related issues in many journal articles, but relatively few studies have been done.
You might also just make a phone call instead. Advice for the Office Whether or not you live on your phone, the way your work space is arranged might not be doing you any favors either, Chappelear says. “Sitting at a desk, looking at the computer, writing papers, students sitting in school,” she says. “We’re basically taking that poor posture [we get from our phones] and making it even worse.” Her suggestion is something she calls "desktop yoga." “You’re sitting at your desk, you open your arms up as far as they will go, stretch your neck back, and look up as far as you can,” she says. “Anything you can do that opens up the distance between the chin and the chest, as well as the distance between the shoulders, will help tremendously.” She also recommends you:
“We are made up of about 75%-80% water, and that fluid creates lubrication, and helps us deliver nutrients in to -- and waste products out of -- our cells,” Chappelear says. “If you’re dehydrated, then the tissues are drier and stickier, so it allows all of the [muscles and nerves] to be more squished together.” Tired Eyes Speaking of staring at screens all day long, your eyes are getting a workout too -- and they can become exhausted. Ophthalmologist Anne Sumers, MD, says she sees patients all day long who say they have trouble related to technology. “It’s everybody! They come in complaining of eye strain while working on the computer, and what they mean is their eyes are irritated, their eyes are tired, they have blurry vision, and they have headaches,” she says. The good news is that constantly staring at a screen isn’t causing permanent damage. “Working on the computer doesn’t harm your eyes. There’s no harmful radiation or anything like that,” Sumers says. “What it does cause is eye strain, where your eyes feel tired and fatigued. These are temporary problems, and there’s a lot that can be done about them.” The first step: Check your glasses. “Make sure the glasses you’re wearing are appropriate for working on the computer,” she says. “A lot of time, all you need is a better pair of glasses.” That means clean, unbroken lenses that are set for the distance you sit from your computer. Dry eyes are also a common problem. “When you’re concentrating, you don’t blink very much, so people's eyes dry out,” Sumers says. “Stop for a moment and just close your eyes for 30 seconds.” You can also use a few drops of artificial tear solution. And the biggest tip: Take a break! “Do something slightly different after 45 minutes or an hour on the computer,” she says. “Looking at a distance of 50 feet for 20 or 30 seconds will relax your eyes again.” Source: www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20141124/text-neck
Another
Thing We Have To Worry About Now: Tech Neck The term has been trending lately and—according to dermatologists—it’s the result of constantly bending our necks to look at our phone screens. That action leads to sagging skin, dropping jowls, and creases above your clavicle. It can also lead to more lines and creases around your chin and neck area. And if you think you’re not looking down at your phone that much, well, it seems most people between the ages of 18 to 39 do it a whopping 150 times a day. Looking to prevent tech neck? Here, a few tips, and keep in mind it’s never too late to start a regimen. 1. Take care of your neck as you do your face. Most people have a solid skincare routine for their face, but many ignore their necks entirely. Remember that delicate skin on the neck is similar to the type around your eyes, and two times thinner than that of the rest of your face. 2. Develop a neck specific skincare routine. Experts advise to massage your neck daily with a good vitamin rich oil, beginning with the area under the chin, and then to work your way back to your ears. After that, apply a moisturizer to seal in the oil. 3. Stop resting your chin on your hands. Simply stop resting your chin on your hands when you’re look at a computer screen. This will lead to unnecessarily stretching the skin around the neck. Another preventative tip? Use headphones instead of bending your neck to hold your phone while taking phone calls. 4. Exercise your neck. Yes, there’s a way to work out your neck to help prevent tech neck. Start by giving yourself a side neck stretch by placing four of your right hand fingers on the left hand side of your forehead, then place your left hand on your shoulder, and pull your head to the right and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Get the blood flowing in the skin on
your neck by placing your index fingers on either side of
your windpipe, then look up, and begin moving your fingers
up and down your neck. Do this 20 times. To help with saggy
skin on the jaw and neck place your hand under your jaw, and
lightly slap yourself (awkward, but it works!) Posture: What
About It? Faulty Posture Can Cause Stress and Pain Faulty postures do not always present with spine or extremity pain initially since many individuals have the joint strength and mobility to correct aberrant positions and minimize stresses. Unfortunately, not all of us have good postural habit and the ability to correct poor positioning. This often leads to chronic stress and wear of otherwise normal joints in their attempt to accommodate for these faulty positions. Poor Posture Examples of typical postural faults often encountered include but are not limited to forward head positioning, rounded shoulders, and loss of the normal lordosis (curve, see below) in the lower back. Early warning signs of postural problems may include the inability to sit or stand for prolonged periods of time, stiffness when rising from a chair after sitting or a feeling of physical exhaustion at the end of the day. Failure to correct these early warning signs often leads to muscle imbalances, loss of normal flexibility and often discomfort which appears to have been brought on for no apparent reason. With the appropriate treatment, correction is relatively easy and beneficial to all! Role of Physical Therapists Physical therapists specialize in the
evaluation and treatment of musculoskeltal dysfunction and
can be of immeasurable value in identifying and screening
for postural dysfunction. On your initial visit the physical
therapist will do a complete and detailed evaluation
identifying any possible postural, limitations and then
through a comprehensive individualized approach identify a
treatment plan that will best suit your needs. 'Tech
Neck' Eighteen-year-old Thandiewe Kara Durdian-James suffers
from a pain in her neck due to too much cellphone use. Bay Club personal trainer Marc Natividad says it's known as a rounded shoulder pattern, but the term widely used today is "tech neck. Those overusing cellphones, tablets and computers are suffering, including teenagers. Physical therapy Dr. Andrew Pritikin says that when the head continually tilts forward extra pounds of pressure are put on one's neck and back. "The soft tissue structures, the muscle, the ligaments get stretched out, [and] there's a shearing of the vertebrae and the facets get compressed," Pritikin said. Meanwhile, both experts say prevention is key. "If you have an issue, physical therapy is going to cost you. You're going to be out of work and you're going to be in pain," Natividad said. "You're pretty much guaranteeing yourself a surgery in the future if you keep that up," Pritikin said. Both experts say that if you use your cellphone or other forms of technology every day, you should also do exercises every day. The exercises don't take long but they are effective. Some exercises will stretch the front of the body, while others strengthen the back. Pritikin recommends grabbing your chair seat. Lean away from the side for a 30 second hold. Do both sides. Then take your arms behind you, squeezing your shoulder blades together while opening your chest. Do this 40 times with your palms up and 40 times with your palms down. Natividad says go with slow-controlled head rolls in both directions, then place hands in the small of your back and pull your elbows behind you while squeezing your shoulder blades and opening up your chest. "The only way the head can sit on top
of the body is if the shoulders are back," Pritikin
said. 6 ways to avoid
‘tech neck’ Most of us have our heads down, looking at our electronic devices way more often than we realize, and the impact on the spine can be scary. “We’re just not made to be able to hold like this and stay that way,” said Britt Dalton, a physical therapist with University of Tennessee Medical Center’s Hardin Valley satellite office. Experts say the head weights 10-12 pounds, but the more you tilt your head, the more strain you are creating on your body. Dalton said depending on the angle you may be putting up to 60 pounds of strain on your back. With the average person on their phones, tablets and laptops for 2-4 hours per day, he said the impact on your back can be more harmful than most would think. “When we change the orientation of the spine, we change how the muscles work. It can lead to faster wear and tear, so to speak, deterioration of the disk, the joints themselves, the tiny little ligaments around it,” said Dalton. Our phones, tablets and laptops aren’t going anywhere, so Dalton recommends some tips to protect your health: 1. Watch your posture. Doctors say good posture isn’t just about the spine. It affects your overall health and mood. 2. Take a break and exercise. Take breaks throughout the day doing some simple exercises. Do ten to fifteen of the stretches a few times a day to ease the strain on your neck and spine. 3. Don’t use your cell phone or tablet for extended work. Save that for your laptop and make sure it in the proper position. When you use your cell phone, try to raise it, instead of bending your head to look at it. 4. Stretch your shoulders and chest. Put your arms up high on a door frame and slowly lean forward, then take a small step forward and let your shoulders be drawn back, holding your position for several seconds. Keep your head up. You should feel a stretch somewhere along the shoulders or chest. 5. Exercise your neck. Lie on your bed with a small pillow under your head. Without raising your head off the pillow gently tip your chin toward your neck and hold it there for five to 10 seconds. 6. Exercise your shoulders.
Keep your arms by your sides while holding a light
resistance band, which is available at most sporting goods
stores. Hold the band underhanded, then rotate outwards,
squeezing the shoulder blades together. 5 Tips for Avoiding
'Tech Neck' (And the Pain and Headaches It Brings) Tech neck, a condition caused by frequently craning one's neck in order to stare down at a screen, is becoming increasingly common in the digital age. Whenever anyone hunches over their laptop or hangs their head to text on a smartphone, they're putting up to 50 pounds of excess pressure on their cervical spine — and potentially setting themselves up for a world-wide-web of pain. According to Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with a sub-specialty in spinal surgery, tech neck could also be causing shoulder pain, headaches and even numbness in your arms. Fortunately, Dr. Sinicropi also has five great tips for avoiding these pitfalls altogether and keeping necks everywhere un-teched: #1. Be Aware The act of holding your head flexed and forward while looking down places your cervical spine in a tenuous position. Doing this repeatedly and frequently over long periods of time can lead to muscular strain, disc injury and arthritic changes of the neck, and can lead to neck and shoulder pain, headaches and symptoms down the arms. It's critical to first understand that poor posture can create many unwanted health issues involving your cervical spine. #2. Set Time Limits Limit the amount of time and frequency that you use your device. If you have to use it for an extended period of time, take breaks. Develop a habit of taking a 3-minute break for every 15–20 minutes you use your device. Change your posture, or move around. If you need help facilitating this step, try to … #3. Set Automatic Reminders Utilize the automatic alarm on your smart device to remind you to take a time-out. For those of you with wearable devices, such as the iWatch, these can be programmed to tap you every 15-20 minutes, reminding you to break. #4. Use a Tablet Holder Purchase a holder to elevate your device to significantly to reduce the amount of neck flexion and forward positioning. Try to keep the device as close to eye level as possible. (This is probably the best way to prevent tech neck.) #5. Take Action Use pain as a warning. If you are
experiencing pain in your neck, pain between the shoulder
blades, frequent headaches, or a numbness or tingling in the
arms, there may be a more serious issue at hand. If the
above methods fail to produce results, and reducing overall
handheld usage does not improve these symptoms, it's time to
seek professional help. 5
Easy Exercises to Remedy "Tech
Neck" The good news is you can condition your body to reverse "tech neck" pain and prevent further discomfort. We turned to Rothie Banzuelo, an elite personal trainer at Crunch, to show us five exercises you can do at home. "Sitting behind a computer for hours a day will cause muscle imbalances called Upper Crossed Syndrome and Forward Head Posture that results in neck and back pain," she says, "These exercises will stretch the overactive and tight muscles, and train the body to keep the head back in correct alignment." For best results, do the following posture-improving sequence twice a day. Baby Cobra 1. Begin by lying face down on the floor with your legs extended behind you. Keep your legs down and position your hands directly under your shoulders. FLOOR COBRA WITH EXTERNAL ROTATION 1. Begin by lying face down on the floor with your legs extended behind you. Keep your chin tucked and with your palms facing down and arms angled back so they form about 30-45 degree angle with the body. FACE DOWN WITH SCAPTION 1. Begin by lying face down on the floor with your legs extended behind you. Keep your chin tucked and straighten your arms in a V angle above your head with your palms facing down. UPWARD FACING DOG 1. Begin by lying face down on the floor with your legs extended behind you. Place your hands alongside your body, apply pressure to the ground, and lift your torso off the ground. Make sure your shoulders are aligned right above your wrist. 2. Open your chest to the ceiling and tilt your head back. Now, you are going to look to the left while you squeeze your right glute and press your right hip to the ground. Alternate sides for 10 repetitions. BIRD DOG 1. Start on your knees and hands directly below shoulders. Keep your spine in neutral position and look at the floor. Slowly extend your left leg behind you while reaching your right arm forward. Keep core engaged, hips and shoulders square and make sure your lower back doesn't arch. 2. Slowly return to starting position
and repeat with opposite arm and leg. Repeat 10
times. 6 ways to avoid
‘tech neck’ – why your cell phone may be
killing your back Most of us have our heads down, looking at our electronic devices way more often than we realize, and the impact on the spine can be scary. “We’re just not made to be able to hold like this and stay that way,” said Britt Dalton, a physical therapist with University of Tennessee Medical Center’s Hardin Valley satellite office. Experts say the head weights 10-12 pounds, but the more you tilt your head, the more strain you are creating on your body. Dalton said depending on the angle you may be putting up to 60 pounds of strain on your back. With the average person on their phones, tablets and laptops for 2-4 hours per day, he said the impact on your back can be more harmful than most would think. “When we change the orientation of the spine, we change how the muscles work. It can lead to faster wear and tear, so to speak, deterioration of the disk, the joints themselves, the tiny little ligaments around it,” said Dalton. Our phones, tablets and laptops aren’t going anywhere, so Dalton recommends some tips to protect your health: 1. Watch your posture Doctors say good posture isn’t just about the spine. It affects your overall health and mood. 2. Take a break and exercise Take breaks throughout the day doing some simple exercises. Do ten to fifteen of the stretches a few times a day to ease the strain on your neck and spine. 3. Don’t use your cell phone or tablet for extended work Save that for your laptop and make sure it in the proper position. When you use your cell phone, try to raise it, instead of bending your head to look at it 4. Stretch your shoulders and chest Put your arms up high on a door frame and slowly lean forward, then take a small step forward and let your shoulders be drawn back, holding your position for several seconds. Keep your head up. You should feel a stretch somewhere along the shoulders or chest. 5. Exercise your neck Lie on your bed with a small pillow under your head. Without raising your head off the pillow gently tip your chin toward your neck and hold it there for five to 10 seconds. 6. Exercise your shoulders Keep your arms by your sides while holding a light resistance band, which is available at most sporting goods stores. Hold the band underhanded, then rotate outwards, squeezing the shoulder blades together. This report was originally posted on
WATE.com. Smartphones
cause drooping jowls and 'tech-neck' wrinkles in 18-39
year-olds The latest ailment to result from modern technology can be found mostly in people aged 18 to 39 who own an average of three devices. Tech neck refers to a specific crease just above the collar bone that is caused by repeated bending of the neck to look at the screen of a portable device. "The problem of wrinkles and sagging of the jowls and neck used to begin in late middle age but, in the last 10 years, because of 'tech neck', it has become a problem for a generation of younger women," said Dr Christopher Rowland Payne, a consultant dermatologist at The London Clinic. "Neck skin is exposed to sun every day because of low neckline, especially in women, but people are less inclined to think of protecting their necks than their faces. "This is bad news for neck skin as it starts off finer and sun thins it further. Finer skin wrinkles more readily and the fat of the neck may sag." The research was commissioned by Yves St Laurent and has been published at the same time as the cosmetics giant releases a face and neck cream to remedy the condition. YSL claims the product improves skin firmness by 13% in a single application. Tech-related health problems Cell phones have long been associated with various health conditions and even some serious illnesses. Research conducted by the Swedish
Hardell group found that mobile
phone use "As the head tilts forward the forces seen by the neck surges to 27 pounds at 15 degrees, 40 pounds at 30 degrees, 49 pounds at 45 degrees and 60 pounds at 60 degrees," said Kenneth Hansraj, a back surgeon and author of the study.
Hansraj warned that chronic screen-staring could "deteriorate the back and neck muscles to the point of needing surgery". The latest tech-neck malady is
believed to have come about in the last 10 years directly as
a result of the rise of mobile phones. How to Fix Text
Neck and Improve Your Posture Chances are you’re looking down at your device to read this article — head forward, shoulders rounded and back slumped, putting yourself at risk for the aches and pains now known as ‘text neck.’ “You can stretch out and exhaust the paraspinal and upper back muscles from poor posture,” says Dr. Jonathan Stieber, orthopaedic spine surgeon and clinical assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the NYU School of Medicine. As the upper back rounds, the head and neck start to jut forward and out of alignment from your spine. No wonder your body hurts. We know there’s no way you’re ditching your devices — so what can you do about the pain? Read on to find out. How to Prevent Text Neck and Improve Your Posture The Problem: Slouching Your mother was right: Good posture matters. Pain related to technology use is often due to poor posture and ergonomics, according to Dr. Stieber. “When you’re sitting in front of your computer with a certain posture for hours on end, your body gets used to being in that position. It becomes your new normal,” says Ryan Balmes, DPT and board-certified clinical specialist in sports and orthopedic physical therapy in Atlanta. “Imagine if you’re arm wrestling all day. Your bicep muscles will be strained and they’re going to let you know that they are tired.” Tilting your head forward 15 degrees places an additional 27 pounds of stress on the cervical spine. While you usually don’t see severe problems like herniated disks or pinched nerves resulting solely from overuse of technology, Dr. Stieber says it can exacerbate an underlying condition. And be careful when you go for your weekend run or CrossFit WOD. “Your body may be shocked because you’re bringing it out of the position it’s accustomed to. You can be predisposed to injury,” says Balmes. The fix: “Make sure you have the appropriate monitor, desk and chair height for you,” says Dr. Stieber. Can’t buy a new desk? “Keep your head is in a neutral position with your monitor at eye-level,” Balmes advises. “You want to have the height of the chair so that your feet can rest comfortably on the floor and your knees are at or just below [the level of] your hips.” Sitting up straight might not come naturally at first. “[It] requires diligence, but more importantly, practice,” says Balmes. “As with all things, active practice will help solidify proper posture as habit.” One sign you’re not doing it right: “If anything in your body feels achy or uncomfortable after prolonged use, it’s your body’s way of screaming at you to change position and find a better one because it’s struggling to make your current posture work,” he says. Frequent breaks from the screen can help, even if it’s just two minutes every hour. “Use the breaks as a reset.” says Balmes. “Set reminders on your phone or computer or use a Post-It note. These small cues can make a huge difference.” The Problem: Tech Neck If you’re one of the 64 percent of American adults who owns a smartphone, look up now. Recent research from Dr. Kenneth Hansraj, chief of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, found that staring down at your phone can put incredible pressure on your neck and spine. Tilting your head forward 15 degrees places an additional 27 pounds of stress on the cervical spine. A 60-degree angle — the angle at which most of us view our phones — increases that stress to 60 pounds. That’s like carrying around a seven-year-old on your neck. Tablets also encourage you to flex your head forward. And, with bigger screens, you’re more likely to stay in that position for longer periods of time, according to Balmes. The fix: The easiest way to address text neck is to change the way you hold your phone. “Bring the screen to eye level so your head is not slouched forward or too high,” says Balmes. “This way, you don’t have to be in a forward-head posture for a prolonged period of time.” When using a tablet, Balmes recommends buying a case that allows you to prop up the tablet on a table. To prevent stiffness in the neck, Balmes recommends neck rotations – look gently to the left and right, 10 times on each side. Try to perform these every hour throughout the day. 3 Posture Exercises to Balance Your Muscles Strengthening and stretching your muscles may also help alleviate some of that nagging pain. While a visit to a physical therapist can help guide your specific needs, Balmes recommends these three quick exercises to help combat technology-induced slump. 1. Shoulder Blade Pinches This move will help to strengthen the muscles of the upper back, which tend to get lengthened and weakened when you slouch. How to: While sitting or standing straight, pinch your shoulder blades together and back. You’ll feel the front of your shoulders roll back. Hold for a few seconds, release and repeat. Perform 10 reps every hour throughout the day. 2. Pec Stretch While slouching results in overstretched and feeble upper back muscles, it also leads to short and weak pecs, according to Balmes. How to: Stand in a doorway and place your forearms against the frame of the door, with your elbows at shoulder height. With one foot forward, draw your shoulder blades together on your back and gently lean into the door. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then repeat once more. Perform this stretch three to four times a day. 3. Chin Tuck A double chin may be a selfie no-no, but it can be good for your posture. Chin tucks strengthen the neck muscles and help you pull your head back into alignment. How to: Sit up tall in a chair and keep your chin parallel to the floor. Without tilting your head in any direction, gently draw your head and chin back, like you’re making a double chin. Be careful not to jam your head back. You should feel a stretch along the back of the next. Release your chin forward. Repeat. You can perform 10 reps every hour throughout the day. While the best advice is to take
frequent breaks from your computer or cell phone, these
exercises, along with improving your posture, are good
preventative measures. “If this doesn’t relieve
your pain, know that your problem may be more serious and
seek out a physical therapist,” says Balmes. Here’s
exactly why the weight of your head is causing problems A recent study published in the journal 'Surgical Technology International' shows that when you are standing or sitting straight your head weighs, 10 to 12 lbs. on average. But if you lean 15 degrees forward, the head weight is more like 27 lbs. With a 30-degree tilt, 40 lbs. A 45-degree angle and it feels like 49 lbs. And when you are hunched over at a 60-degree angle looking at a mobile device your head puts a 60 lbs. strain on your neck. And that is putting extra pressure on the discs in the neck and spine, which causes increased compression and can lead to chronic neck and shoulder pain and severe headaches. So what can you do? You can do simple exercises by squeezing your shoulder blades together. You can practice keeping your neck back and keeping your ears over your shoulders. And when using a mobile device try to
keep it in front of you, don’t look down. All it takes
is a little attention to stop this epidemic. Costco Gives
Teck Neck Tips
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