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How Can Chiropractic Treatment Help Text Neck?

Written By SunCoast SpineCare on November 16, 2017

Text neck is a growing epidemic that causes chronic pain for sufferers even though its name sounds amusing. It is linked to premature degeneration of the spine.

Text neck is no laughing matter. Studies indicate that people spend upwards of 4 hours per day looking down at their phones. That’s 1,400 hours per year holding your neck in a position that is contrary to good spine health.

The average human head weighs 11 pounds. The neck is designed to hold the head directly atop the spine. Each degree of angulation adds gravitational weight to the spine as you bend your neck forward to look at a mobile device. Dr. Kenneth Hansraj, chief of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, conducted a study showing that holding your head at a 60 degree angle “…is putting 60 pounds worth of pressure on your cervical spine, the (area) of the spine above the shoulders. That's more than the weight of the average 7 year old.”

Signs And Symptoms Of Text Neck

A recurring or nagging pain in your neck can be the first sign of text neck. This pain can radiate down the shoulders and mid-back, and also cause headaches. Left untreated and without correction to alleviate the pressure on the spine, vertebrae can become compressed leading to acute nerve pain and possible herniation of the sensitive disc material that cushions the space between vertebrae. 

In extreme cases, constant strain on the bones of the neck can lead to an early onset of disc degeneration. Text neck, which is fundamentally bad posture, is also correlated with a number of other health problems including headaches, depression, and constipation.

Treating Text Neck

Fortunately text neck can be treated and prevented. Start with reducing the amount of time spent looking at your phone or mobile device. Take stretch breaks and move around to encourage circulation. Practice standing tall, with the crown of your head directly above your shoulders and your shoulders pulled back, rather than slouched forward.

If text neck pain has become constant or chronic, chiropractic care can help alleviate many of the symptoms associated with poor posture and text neck. Manual manipulation of the spinal vertebrae by a chiropractor can help alleviate pressure causing pain and correct imbalances. Regular treatment by a chiropractor can encourage good posture and alignment, which can lead to better over all health and well-being.


Posted In: Chiropractic