How Text Neck Affects Your Posture and Health
In today’s digital age, our smartphones are like a part of us. We use them for talking, finding out things, having fun, and much more. But using them a lot can affect how we sit and our spine health. In this blog, we’ll talk about something called “text neck,” how it affects how we sit, and give you some tips on how to avoid it.
What is Text Neck?
Text neck is a modern problem that happens when we use smartphones and other handheld devices a lot. When we use these devices, we tend to tilt our heads forward and look down. This posture, with the head tilted forward and the shoulders rounded, puts a lot of strain on the neck, upper back, and shoulders. This can cause various health problems over time.
How Does Text Neck Impact Posture?
1. Neck and Shoulder Pain: Text neck often causes neck and shoulder pain because leaning forward puts extra strain on your neck muscles and spine.
2. Headaches: Text neck can also lead to tension headaches. This happens when your neck and upper back muscles are tense from leaning forward too much.
3. Reduced Lung Capacity: Bad posture can limit how much your chest and diaphragm can expand when you breathe. This might make you feel more tired and affect your breathing.
4. Spinal Misalignment: Using mobile devices with poor posture for a long time can cause your spine to get out of alignment. This can lead to health problems beyond just pain.
How to Prevent Text Neck
Here's how you can prevent text neck and keep your posture and spine healthy:
1. Hold Your Phone Higher: Keep your phone at eye level so you don’t need to bend your neck forward to see the screen.
2. Take Breaks Often: Avoid using your phone for long periods. Take short breaks to stretch your neck and shoulders and adjust your posture.
3. Use Voice Commands: Use your phone’s voice recognition for texting and other tasks to reduce the time you spend looking down.
4. Use Phone Accessories: Try using stands or holders to raise your phone to eye level. This can greatly reduce strain on your neck and shoulders.
5. Stay Active: Include exercises and movement in your daily routine to keep your body moving.
6. Be Mindful of Screen Time: Limit unnecessary phone use and consider setting screen time limits or using apps to track how much you use your phone.
7. See an Upper Cervical Chiropractor Regularly: Regular visits to an upper cervical chiropractor can help correct any spinal misalignments caused by poor posture.
How Does Upper Cervical Chiropractic Differ from Traditional Chiropractic?
Traditional Chiropractic
- Focus: Traditional chiropractic care generally focuses on the entire spine.
- Adjustments: Chiropractors perform adjustments on various parts of the spine to relieve pain and improve function.
- Method: They often use hands-on techniques, twisting and turning the spine to make adjustments.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic
- Focus: Upper cervical chiropractic specifically focuses on the top two bones in the neck, known as the atlas (C1) and axis (C2).
- Adjustments: Chiropractors use precise and gentle adjustments to these two bones.
- Method: They often use special instruments and imaging techniques to ensure the adjustments are accurate and gentle.
Why Upper Cervical Chiropractic Might Be Better
1. Precision: Upper cervical chiropractors use detailed imaging and measurements to make precise adjustments. This can lead to more effective and longer-lasting results.
2. Gentleness: The adjustments are very gentle, which can be more comfortable for patients, especially those who are sensitive or have severe pain.
3. Whole-Body Impact: Adjusting the atlas and axis can have a significant impact on the entire nervous system, potentially improving overall health and well-being.
In summary, while traditional chiropractic adjusts the entire spine, upper cervical chiropractic focuses on the top two bones in the neck with precise, gentle adjustments that can have broad health benefits.
Disclaimer:
Dr. Berner does not diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical diseases or conditions; instead, he analyzes and corrects the structure of his patients with Foundational Corrections to improve their overall quality of life. He works with their physicians, who regulate their medications. This blog post is not designed to provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment, or services to you or any other individual. The information provided in this post or through linkages to other sites is not a substitute for medical or professional care. You should not use the information in place of a visit, consultation, or the advice of your physician or another healthcare provider. Foundation Chiropractic and Dr. Brett Berner are not liable or responsible for any advice, the course of treatment, diagnosis, or any other information, services, or products you obtain through this article or others.
