07/17/2022
The Bio Specs on Tech Neck
In chiropractic offices around the globe, it feels a lot like chiropractors are seeing patients for neck pain just as much as for back pain. Just about every last one of us is addicted to our phones which - while amazing pieces of technology - weren't designed with good posture in mind. This has led to a surge in cases of what's called tech neck (and sometimes "text neck").
Perhaps you suffer from tech neck? Good news is that chiropractors can treat it and help you prevent it from recurring.
What the Heck is Tech Neck?
Tech neck is the development of neck pain due to looking down at phones, computers, tablets, etc. Neck pain is sometimes accompanied by shoulder pain, headaches, tingling or numbness in your arms and hands, and even eye strain/vision blurriness.
Why Tech Neck Symptoms Are a Big Deal
Oh, how it'd be nice to presume we’ll be fine or just deal with looking like the hunchback of Notre Dame when we're old, but the reality is these symptoms can have lifelong consequences.
Neck Pain - According to your neck muscles, your head is heavy, and then gets heavier just by tilting your head forward or looking down at your phone all day. When upright, your head weighs 10-12lbs. When you're hunched over your phone, you put up to 60lbs of pressure on your neck muscles. That's a lot of weight to hold up for hours on end. Neck pain is a precursor to muscle strength imbalance and exhaustion. The neck muscles in back are forced to get stronger while the ones in front get shorter and weaker, making it challenging to rebalance them later on.
Shoulder Pain - If your head is tilted forward, then chances are your shoulders are hunched and rolled forward, which may lead to shoulder pain and discomfort. This can also put pressure on your spine and lead to inflammation, both of which can lead to more pain. This altered posture of the upper back (upper thoracic) and neck (cervical) can negatively alter the normal spinal curves over time.
Headaches - Muscle strain in your neck and upper back can lead to muscle tension headaches. Muscles get overworked, tight and inflamed as well, which also leads to headaches. Chronic headaches aren't fun for anyone, and aren't good for your health.
Tingling/Numbness - Whenever you experience tingling or numbness, that almost always means you're dealing with irritation and inflammation impacting nerves and blood supply. Depending on how you hold your phone and type, it can also cause muscle weakness.
How Chiropractors Treat Tech Neck
You don't have to give up on using technology to get rid of tech neck. Chiropractors can treat your neck and upper back to help realign your spine and ease the strain on your spinal tissues. Targeted spinal adjustments will vary from person to person to match your unique needs. They help you get out of pain, can reduce headache incidences, restore range of motions and alleviate muscle tension.
Chiropractors can also provide ergonomic guidance to help correct your posture and prevent you from practicing ongoing postural errors. Your neck can be rehabilitated, and good posture can become an unconscious habit.
Author: ChiroPlanet.com
Source: Surg Technol Int. 2014 Nov;25:277-9
