In a November 2014 article in the Washington Post, a phenomenon known as “text neck” was touted as an epidemic. In a generation where younger and younger people have access to cell phones and other devices, “text neck” has become a much more prevalent condition. Mobile technology-induced head, neck, and back pain are seen in many people, young and old.
The average weight of the human head is about 12 pounds. It has been said that for every inch the head shifts forward, the stress on the spine doubles. With that statistic, it is easy to see why more and more people are experiencing neck pain as we see smartphones become the standard. Most people have developed the habit of bending at the neck to look down at their devices rather than looking down only with the eyes, or bringing the device up to eye level. Poor posture and forward head carriage have been associated with reduced lung function by up to 30 percent, and are also linked with other conditions such as headaches, heart disease, and depression.
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In many cases, the cumulative effect of the many hours of peering down at our devices has left us with spinal misalignments that are causing not only pain, but a reduction in nervous system function, whether it’s apparent to us or not.
Neck pain expert Dr. Crowder in McKinney, TX has focused on correcting these types of misalignments to help people get out of pain and achieve better health. Rather than relieving the pain with temporary measures such as over-the-counter pain relievers, very specific adjustments are made to the upper cervical spine, namely the top two vertebrae. This serves to restore normal alignment as well as proper function. An awareness of correct posture when using mobile devices combined with upper cervical chiropractic care can provide a lasting solution to the new epidemic of text neck.
REFERENCE ARTICLE:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/11/20/text-neck-is-becoming-an-epidemic-and-could-wreck-your-spine/
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