Just about everywhere you look people are staring at their smart phones, iPads, laptops, you name it. But a Doylestown chiropractor says the constant strain on your neck could be causing major damage.
According to Pew Research Institute, more than half of Americans own a smart phone. Then there are all of the laptops, e-readers and tablets. Bottom line: we are looking down a lot.
According to Dr. Jeff McQuaite he often sees patients with aches and pains that turn out to be related to their technology. His neck pain patients said that they were playing on their iPads for hours on end, looking down at a computer seven hours a day at work, texting or responding to emails on their phones and, reading on their Kindles.
“I am seeing it a lot, especially in teenagers and even older patients,” he says. “We’re so into our electronic devices, and what we’re doing is holding the device at chest- or waist-level, and looking down at the device. It’s causing neck muscles to be shortened and tightened, and shoulders to be rounded forward.”
When you’re texting, you’re turning your whole spine forward. While the head is angled forward, the ligaments and tendons in the neck and back become overstretched. This overexertion can lead to an inflammation of the muscles and can cause mild to severe neck and back pain. There are increasing reports of “text neck” causing lower back pain, which is often chronic.
Any kind of neck, shoulder, or back pain requires some sort of attention, he says. You can stretch at home, get a massage see a chiropractor or by simply holding your phone higher when you look at it can make a considerable difference.
You deserve to feel good. If you’re in Doylestown, PA, we can see you at McQuaite Chiropractic and help you feel better.
