Text neck is the preeminent posture of the 21st century

Your neck was designed with a lot of things in mind, but the cell phone is not one of them. The next time you are out in public take a look at how people interact with their devices: a common sight is the phone held below the chest and the neck craning down to read. Chances are you use your cell phone in just the same manner and this is problematic when you consider how much we use our phones during the day. Text neck is an overarching term for a host of conditions that result from the overuse of cell phones and the poor posture they inspire. 

Text neck adds more pressure to the spine

The average human weighs between 10-12 pounds; neutral posture sees that weight balanced atop the spine. Text neck, in which the neck is held forward of the spine and angled downward, creates significantly more downward pressure on the spine, damaging tissues in the neck and shoulders. The spine suffers from the burden of prolonged strain as well, leaving you vulnerable to conditions including herniated disc, muscle spasms and facet joint syndrome. A further problem is that the main age group of incessant cell phone use lies between the younger generations, meaning that young spines will face structural growth problems. 

The answer is good posture! 

At OFW Chiropractic, we are encouraging awareness of text neck, especially among the youth. Being conscious of your cell phone use and how it influences premature spinal degradation is a key to maintaining a healthy spine. If your spine or the supporting tissues have suffered any damage due to text neck, we can help reverse the damage before it compounds and causes more trouble. Furthermore, we can work with you to establish healthy postural habits that will last you and your cell phone a lifetime.