From the desk of Christopher B. Renne, D.C.
Hello again, Jacksonville!
Back in November I wrote about a study showing that smartphone use can be bad for your posture, which is bad for your spine. Well since then a Florida chiropractor has observed a rash of young people, especially teens, with degenerated curvatures in their cervical spine, and he’s given this condition a name - “text neck”!
A recent study showed that many people spend as much as 2-4 hours per day with their necks craned at a sharp angle - up to sixty degrees - looking at the small screen of their smartphone. This can lead to all kinds of problems: slipped discs, herniated discs, stenosis, pinched nerves, arthritis, bone spurs and muscular deformations.
Fortunately, there is a simple solution: keep your head up!
Dr. Kenneth Hansraj of New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine recommends that people raise their phones closer to their natural line of sight. To aid them in this process, the Text Neck Institute has created an app called the Text Neck Indicator that will alert users when their smartphones are held at an angle that puts them at risk. The app is now available on Android in a premium version that is $2.99 and a free version. An iPhone version is coming soon.
Even without an app I always encourage my patients to become mindful of their body posture in all of their everyday activities! Texting isn’t the only activity that can put undue strain on your cervical spine. Anyone in a profession which involves bending over a lot or wearing something heavy on your head is at risk. (welders, bending over all day with those heavy helmets on your heads, need to take extra care!)
If you find that you are frequently occupying a posture that places undue stress on your neck, you should practice regular stretching and exercise. Frequent stretches and exercises can not only relieve the tension placed on your spine but also can build up muscular strength, increasing endurance for maintaining proper posture. Try focusing on loosening up your neck muscles, opening up your chest muscles, and strengthening the muscles in your shoulders, upper back and neck.
Spending just fifteen minutes a day on a few simple exercises can help guard against spinal degradation from poor posture and ‘text neck’! Come in and talk with us and we can show you how.
As always, be well.
Christopher B. Renne, D.C.
4111 Atlantic Boulevard, Jacksonville, Fl. 32207
www.activechirocenter.com
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