“A new study claims that poor posture caused by texting is becoming an epidemic. I’m not sure if I’ve been affected, but I have a hunch.” Seth Meyers, Late Night on NBC

TEXT NECK

Dr. Dean Fishman, a chiropractor and leading health care provider for technology induced injuries, originated the phrase Text Neck in 2008 to explain the repetitive stress injury to the body caused by excessive texting and overuse of handheld mobile devices (doctors used to call it Forward Head Posture). This condition is derived from the onset of cervical spinal degeneration resulting from the repeated stress of frequent forward head flexion while looking down and texting for long periods of time. This new MSD (musculoskeletal disorder) is plaguing mobile device users all over the world. Of the 6 billion people in the world, 4 billion have mobile phones and over 2.2 trillion text messages are sent annually.  

In a recent interview with Dr. Larry Adams of the Adams Chiropractic Neurology Group of Sonoma, he states that “Text Neck is a recent phenomenon that is happening among young people, as well as older people, because of the increased usage of cell phones, tablets and laptops while leaning in an anterior posture, looking down and causing a significant reversal in the cervical spine. It also causes weakness in the posterior muscles in the upper back which promotes a slouched and weakend posture which can affect the stability of the spine which in turn leads to neck and back pain weakness and a predilection to neck and back injuries.” 

SYMPTOMS

The symptoms associated with Text Neck include chronic headaches, upper back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain and increased curvature of the spine. The problem with texting is that it adds one more activity that causes us to look down more than we did in the past. In addition, it could possibly cause permanent damage to the spines of growing children. 

STARING AT YOUR PHONE?

The average person stares at their mobile device for nearly three hours a day. As we stare at these devices at chest or waist-level looking down at a 45 degree angle, it causes the neck muscles to be shortened and tightened and the shoulders to be rounded forward. This can cause cosmetic, muscular and neurological problems.

Repeated bending of the neck with the head tilted downward creates a specific crease just above the collar bone in the thin and delicate neck skin. According to research commissioned by Yves St. Laurent, wrinkles and sagging of the jowls and neck traditionally develop in late middle age, however, in the last ten years it has become a problem for the younger generation (18-39 year olds). This is contributing to more lines and skin laxity, loss of facial volume, sagging skin and less defined contours.

In the movie Jerry Maguire, Dorothy Boyd’s son asks, “Jerry, do you know the human head weighs 8 pounds?” According to Dr. Kenneth Hansraj, chief of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine and author of a recent study published in Surgery Technology International, “when the human head tilts forward, the forces seen by the neck surge to 27 pounds at 15 degrees, 40 pounds at 30 degrees, 49 pounds at 45 degrees and 60 pounds at 60 degrees. With such aggressive stressors on the neck, the wear and tear on the spine can develop tears within the disc or cause slipped or herniated discs.” Hansraj warns that chronic screen-staring could “deteriorate the back and neck muscles to the point of needing surgery”. 

GOTTA KEEP YOUR HEAD UP

So, what can you do to avoid straining your neck and back muscles? Try these simple techniques developed by Bill Boissonnault, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

1.  Hold your mobile or portable device at eye level allowing your head and neck to stay erect.

2.  Place your hand under your chin so your neck muscles are not supporting the entire weight of your head.

3.  Use a hands-free bookstand, music stand or pillow to bring your device closer to your face at eye-level.

4.  Move your head and shoulders around. Gently roll your head to it’s normal position. Roll your shoulders and squeeze your shoulder blades together and down.

If you experience any kind of neck, shoulder or back pain you can:

1.  Stretch at home

2.  Get a massage

3.  Go to a Pilates or Yoga studio 

4.  See a chiropractor or physical therapist

ADVICE FOR THE OFFICE

1.  Place your computer monitor directly in front of you

2.  Take regular breaks every 15-30 minutes

3.  Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT!

There are several apps for the iPhone that can help you improve your posture and avoid Text Neck. The free app called Save Your Neck includes several different neck exercises. Neck & Shoulders Stretching Exercises, a 99-cent app developed by Intellipro Solutions, offers neck and shoulder extension, flexion, rotation, resistance, retraction and stretching exercises. And for Android users, the free app called Text Neck Indicator LITE helps prevent, reduce and/or reverse the harmful effects of Text Neck. It includes specific exercises designed to help improve the strength of the muscles affected by the Text Neck posture.