Any time you do repetitive motions you can stress your body. With the continuous increase in smart phone usage we are seeing a higher number of “text neck”.
The head weighs 10-14 pounds. For every degree that you tilt forward, the amount of weight on your neck grows exponentially. At 30 degrees forward, the head weighs 40 pounds. At 60 degrees forward, it weighs 60 pounds. And it’s that 45 to 60-degree angle that we tend to hang out at when we look at our smart phones.
Imagine all the times you check your email or Facebook every day, and how many hours that adds up to. It’s no wonder why more people don’t have cricks in their necks all the time.
If you already have neck pain, you probably instinctively avoid positions that hurt, this fix will work for you. If you’re having some discomfort, but not full-blown pain, this fix is especially for you. It’s all about alignment and finding neutral.
The Symptoms:
The disorder is associated with chronic headaches and shoulder/neck pain, but the doctor has also started to see increased curvature in the spine — especially in kids. Outside medical research has also uncovered evidence of related early onset arthritis and even decrease lung capacity.
How can you fix text neck?
The first thing that will help with text neck is to change your posture. When you are bending over at your neck and hunching your upper back, your neck muscles get tight in the front of the neck and overstretched in the back of the neck and upper back.
So the first exercise is a simple chin tuck. You don’t want to tuck it down to your chest, but take your chin, and pull it backwards.
You can put your finger on your chin, as a target or starting point, and then tuck it in. Hold it for about 3-5 seconds, and then relax.
Do this about 3-5 times.
The next one is to open up the chest area with a scapular squeeze. You want to imagine that someone has their hand on your spine in the middle of your back. Squeeze your shoulder blades back towards your spine and hold, and then come back. Hold it for about 3-5 seconds, and do it about 10 times to start.
The next stretch is going to be a chin tuck lying down. Roll up a towel and put it right in the curve of your neck on the ground. Push down towards the floor. Hold that for about 3-5 seconds. Do this 3-5 times. The towel’s there to give you a target, so you’re pushing those muscles in towards the towel.
For the last stretch, grab a pillow, turn over onto your stomach, and put the pillow right at your stomach and chest area. Now you are going to exercise your upper back muscles. Put your hands on your lower back. Keep your neck in a neutral position, and lift your upper body up off the floor. Hold it for about 1-2 seconds, and then come back down. Start with 10 times.
If you are still suffering from text neck, please contact us and let our expert staff at Valeo help you get better!
