Text neck or Tech neck are terms described by repetitive strain to the muscles and other tissue structures in your cervical spine.
Dr. Dean Fisherman, founder of the Text Neck Institute states that “text neck is a global epidemic.”
Now, to be perfectly clear, text neck did not just appear out of no where or when technology really became prominent in our lives. It was present since the beginning of time through repetitive strain to your neck muscles (reading, writing, office work, etc.). Although, with the use of technology, the issue has become considerably more important.
Statistics show that 71% of people check their phones within 10 minutes of waking up and on average Americans check their phone 344 times a day (that’s once every 4 minute!), this combined with regular activities such as studying, office work and just poor posture will eventually lead to something more severe.
Tech neck not only results in neck and shoulder pain, headaches, and reduced mobility. On the more severe cases, you could experience numbness and tingling down arms and hands, as well as thoracic hypokyphosis or “hunched back”.
A human head is approximately 10% of it’s body mass, however when tilted forward, the amount of pressure placed on your neck is actually 50-60 pounds. Not only are our necks not designed to withstand that much force over a long period of time, but the muscles, ligaments and tendons surrounding the area gets severely damaged in the process.
Consistent “hunching” will cause back ligaments to lengthen and chest muscles to contract creating muscle imbalance throughout the body. This could eventually lead to long-term aggravations that could seriously affect your daily living.
Good news! Tech neck can be prevented and even corrected. Give us a call today or book online with one of our experienced Calgary chiropractors for in-home exercises and a corrective treatment plan.