Neck Pain From Phone Use
Neck pain is a common and sometimes disabling problem that will affect many people during their lifetime. Many factors can contribute to the development of neck pain. However one cause has been severely increasing over the years, and that is Text Neck syndrome.
Text Neck
An article in the Washington Post by Lindsey Bever uses the term 'Text Neck' to explain the stress and strain put on the muscles and joints of the neck by texting and the use of smart phones and tablets. This diagram shows how the effective weight of the head increases with an increased bending forward of the neck. The average head weighs approximately 10 to 12 pounds (4.5 to 5.5kg). For every inch the head moves forward from the natural position, the pressure on the neck increases by 10 pounds. All this is balanced by just 7 vertebrae in your neck.
Use the diagram to see how hard your neck muscles have to work when you're using your phone!
Image from washingtonpost.com - “‘Text neck’ is becoming an ‘epidemic’ and could wreck your spine”
Repetitive Injury Prevention
Text Neck syndrome is a repetitive injury, here are a few tips on preventing this injury:
Position: When using devices, such as your phone, hold the device at eye level and keep your neck in a neutral, upright position.
Breaks: If you need to be on a device for a prolonged time, take a break every 30 mins to stretch and move around a bit, giving these muscles a much needed break.
Limit: If you can, reduce the amount of time spent looking at devices.
Neck Pain Assessment
Our Chartered Physiotherapists will carry out an in-depth assessment in order to have an accurate diagnosis. We use a variety of techniques in the treatment of neck pain.
Research has shown that in people with neck pain muscle, activity changes around the neck. Some muscles start working too hard and some don’t do enough work. Treatment will often focus on exercises to restore the muscle balance.
Muscles of the neck, shoulder and upper back can all be affected by neck pain and therefore exercises targeting this area will be prescribed.
Physiotherapy
We specialise in the treatment and prevention of injuries and conditions. If you are suffering with any health aliments that you feel we could help you with, get in touch today. We provide treatment for a wide age range from 9 years to 90 years old.