Chiropractors have known about the condition known as "text neck" for years, and research is starting to catch up. Text neck is neck pain and loss of normal neck curvature because of prolonged slumping posture, generally brought about by hunching over a smartphone. A sudden increase in neck pain among younger people, students, and computer workers has led researchers to try to figure out the mechanism behind this pain. Anecdotally, more and more young people are presenting to chiropractic offices like Johnson Family Chiropractic of Peoria with neck pain and headaches. It all comes down to posture. New research shows that bending your head down to look at a phone in your hands increases the head's pressure on the spine from a normal of about 10-12 lbs of pressure all the way up to 60 lbs of pressure on the spine. Also, by bending the head forward, the normal stable spinal curve in the neck flattens out, so all of this extra pressure on the neck is being supported by a less stable neck. No wonder that the ligaments of the neck get stretched, the muscles overwork, and pain syndromes begin! From an article in yesterday's Daily Mail, which discussed the research: Writing in the study, the researchers said: 'The weight seen by the spine dramatically increases when flexing the head forward at varying degrees.' That same article includes some helpful tips on how to maintain proper posture:
More helpful tips can be found at our webpage discussing Text Neck.
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DisclaimerUnless otherwise attributed, all content is written by Kyle Johnson, DC, of Johnson Family Chiropractic of Peoria.
All images used are under Creative Commons license. Although every effort has been made to provide an accurate description of our chiropractic care and its benefits, the information given on this website and blog is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, medical advice for any condition. If you have any questions regarding your condition, you should seek the help of Dr. Johnson in person, so that he may properly assess your condition. This blog is provided by Johnson Family Chiropractic of Peoria, S.C., proudly located in Peoria, IL. |