What is Text Neck?

What is Text Neck?

“Text neck” is a term used to describe neck pain and spinal damage stemming from looking down at mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, for extended periods. This posture can put a significant strain on the neck, as it leads to an increase in effective head weight, leading to discomfort and potential long-term issues.

How does Text Neck affect my body?

The spine is designed with specific curves.  These curves are designed to protect the neck from damage and reduce the forces of gravity on the joints.  They also reduce tension and pressure on the spinal cord and spinal nerves, allowing proper nerve energy to be transmitted to the rest of the body.  These curves are vital to the overall health of the human body.

In the neck, there should be a forward-facing curvature.  When a person engages in an activity that causes them to look down for prolonged periods of time, this forward-facing curve changes shape to accommodate the change in body position.  When this activity happens regularly over time, it can cause the curve to change shape, creating a straighter neck.  These changes can even progress to a reverse curve (called “kyphosis”) or a “S-curve” or “serpentine neck,” where the neck curve looks like an S or a snake.  This causes a cascade of other changes in the body, namely a forward head posture, a hunch in the mid-back, rolled shoulders, and a host of other postural issues.  This happens because the spine is a single, functional unit, and the curve changes in neck drive curve changes elsewhere in the spine.

Why is Text Neck such a problem?

Text neck isn’t just a postural or appearance issue.  There are serious health implications due to the postural issues text neck causes.  Not only does text neck cause pain and muscle tension over time, but this can also lead to arthritis in the spinal joints and degeneration of the discs that sit between the vertebrae of the spine.  The changes in the spine also affect transmission of nerve impulses in the body, potentially affecting the function of the other 10 systems of the body.  Think digestive issues, vascular problems, thyroid dysfunction, mental/behavioral health disorders, reproductive/sexual problems, to name only a few.  

What can I do about Text Neck?

Unfortunately, in today’s world of technology and electronic entertainment, combatting text neck is a true challenge.  On a daily basis, there are steps one can take to offset the impact, such as:

1. Limiting the amount of time on electronic devices
2. Holding the device at eye level to help keep the spine in a neutral position.
3. Create ergonomic gaming and workstations to support ideal spinal health and posture.
4. Engage in stretching and exercises to help the body recover from periods of electronics usage.

The one thing that an individual will need outside help managing are the subluxations that occur due to electronics usage and text neck.  When the spine is in a state of malposition, subluxations are bound to happen.  Subluxations are interruptions in nerve communication due to uneven tension or pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.  This can be due to a misaligned vertebra that occurs during electronic usage.  As a chiropractor located in Evans, Georgia, Dr. Druckenmiller is specifically trained to identify and remove subluxations.  Through gentle adjusting techniques, such as Torque Release Technique, she can remove tension and pressure in the spinal cord, which restores proper nerve communication.  This unleashes one’s own healing potential, encouraging a restoration of spinal alignment, ideal posture, and an overall higher level of health.

How do I find out if Text Neck affects me?

To know for sure if you have problems related to text neck, or you want to prevent future issues related to text neck (for you or the ones you love), schedule an appointment with Dr. Beth Druckenmiller at Rising Chiropractic in Evans, GA.  She and her team will do a comprehensive assessment of your current health status and determine a path to help you address the root cause of the issue.  This is the first step to a lifetime of health and healing.