Text Neck– What is it and do you have it?

What is Text Neck?
Text neck is an overuse syndrome from poor posture resulting from extended hours on our electronic devices such as smartphones. The human head weighs on average 12 pounds. As the neck bends down and forward, the weight on the cervical spine increases. Depending on the angle of the neck, the weight can increase between 30-60 pounds on the lower cervical spine. This poor posture is often referred to as “text neck” and can lead to muscle strain, degeneration, pain and in severe cases, surgery.

What are Text Neck Symptoms?

There are a multitude of symptoms related to this overuse injury. Neck pain, upper back pain ranging from dull chronic discomfort to sharp and severe muscle spasms, shoulder pain, and headaches are symptoms that, if ignored, could lead to chronic intractable pain.

How to Treat Text Neck
There are some immediate steps you can take now to stop this pain and improve your posture. Try to avoid bending your neck forward and raise your phone to more eye level. Take frequent breaks from your phone to allow your neck muscles to rest. For neck pain that is not alleviating with these tips, contact your physical therapist team at Clearway Pain Solutions for further specialized and individualized treatment.