What is Text Neck?

Take a moment and notice how you are holding your upper body right now. How is your neck angled? Where is your weight resting? Odds are if you are reading this on your mobile device, you are putting unnecessary stress on your neck and spine. Your head is angled down, and you are placing strain and more weight on your neck and spine. The technical term for this posture is “text neck.” What is text neck? It is a newly coined term because it is a relatively new and modern problem. Mission chiropractic teams are well aware of the issues this is placing on your body and can help provide lasting habits to ensure it doesn’t cause worse issues.

While your head usually rests on your neck, it puts around 10-12 pounds of weight and pressure on your skeleton. This weight is healthy, and your body can efficiently handle this type of posture. But, when the head becomes angled even 15 degrees, a total of 27 pounds of weight and pressure is now on your body. As that degree increases, so does the burden on your neck and spine. Yikes! Your skeleton wasn't designed for this posture, but we have made it a habit to read on our phones from a specific stance. Dr. Hammond, the best chiropractor in Mission, KS, can help you reset your body and realign into a more comfortable posture.

So, how can you tell if text neck has caused you any problems? 

All you have to do is look at a few symptoms. The list includes, but is not limited to:

• Radiating Pain
• Muscle Weakness
• Headaches
• Stiff Neck

While those are apparent symptoms, some are unseen. Spinal degeneration, loss of lung capacity, and early onset arthritis are also common symptoms that can hide beneath the surface. You may not see these, but the best chiropractor in Mission, KS will. They will be able to detect signs that are not seen on the surface alone.

I THINK I HAVE TEXT NECK, NOW WHAT?

Thankfully your local Mission chiropractic team can help. The best way to prevent text neck from worsening or causing lasting injuries is to exercise and stretch the muscles you are using to look down. Rolling your head in circles, stretching your shoulders, and giving your eyes a break from screen time can all limit and relax your heavily strained muscles. The best chiropractor in Mission, KS will tell you that you must fix the root of the problem before solving the visible issues. You must be willing to lessen screen time and improve your posture first.

We recommend visiting Dr. Hammond for everything from text neck to cryotherapy in Mission, KS to auto accident chiropractic in Mission, KS and get yourself an adjustment. An adjustment can help realign your spine and get your posture back on track!