I’ve heard of cell phone elbow, but I heard a story on the news about a growing medical problem which doctors are referring to as “text neck,” a problem that involves the neck, back, shoulders and arms. So texting (and other cell phone usage) is becoming a literal “pain in the neck.”
I suppose you could be reading this column on a mobile device like a phone or a tablet. If you are, your arms are probably bent by your side, your head is tilted forward, your shoulders are curved, and your back is hunched. The position you’re in is probably causing you pain, even if you’re not aware of it yet.
Don’t worry, physical therapists have a diagnosis for the headaches, neck cricks and achy shoulders. They call it “text neck.”
Dr. Dean Fishman, a Florida chiropractor, was quoted on CNN. He said, “Text neck is not just a texting problem; text neck is a gaming problem. Text neck is an e-mailing problem.”
It seems we have a tendency to bend our necks forward at too steep an angle when we’re using our cell phones or e-readers because we hold the devices too close to our bodies, and often we stay in that position for long periods of time. Our neck muscles just weren’t designed for that kind of abuse.
I saw an article that said that every inch the human head moves forward puts an extra 10 pounds or so of stress on the neck, shoulders and spine. (That’s because our heads weigh between 8 and 10 pounds, typically.)
Do this long enough and it’s bound to cause pain and problems. Craning your head forward 2 inches while sending texts, reading an electronic book, sending e-mails, whatever, it’s like you’re hanging a 20-pound weight around your neck.
I read excerpts from a 2011 study that found that twice as many people who used their devices three hours a day or more experienced pain in their shoulders, neck and other areas than those who used their devices for less time.
Mobile devices haven’t been around long enough for doctors to know for sure if spending hours hunched over them will cause permanent damage to joints and spinal discs, but it’s probably not a bad idea to assume that over time, they could.
Doctors and chiropractors say keeping your head craned forward doesn’t just hurt; it can cause headaches and decrease lung capacity by up to 30 percent.
I’m concerned about how the younger generation will adapt to this new health problem. I’ve read that patients as young as 3 years old have reported symptoms of text neck. With an ever-increasing number of mobile devices out there, the problem isn’t likely to go away by itself. I know that our grandchildren are veteran device users, even the littlest of them.
So what can you do if you are a smart phone texter, an iPad lover, a tablet aficionado? How can you prevent text neck?
Obviously, limiting the amount of time you spend on your device will help. If that’s not an option for you, therapists generally agree that holding the phone or tablet up at eye level is best, rather than in your lap or some other location that forces you to look down.
You should also take frequent breaks, like every 15 to 20 minutes, to give your neck muscles a break and to restore the flow of oxygenated blood to the area.
Posture-oriented exercise like yoga and Pilates might help by making your neck muscles stronger and more flexible.
Dr. Fishman has established Text Neck Institute (he’s the one who coined the phrase), and they’ve created a mobile app to help you remember to avoid forward head posture. When your Android phone (it’s not available for iPhones yet, I guess) is held at a safe viewing angle, a green light shines in the top left corner. When you’re at risk for Text Neck, a red light appears. Optional vibrations or beeps can be added as a warning.
You want to be careful about damaging those neck muscles. Because as my mom always used to say, “If you’re not careful, they’ll stay that way!”
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