Text neck is a modern term used to describe the neck pain and damage sustained from looking down. Usually at your mobile phone or tablet too frequently and for too long. The human head weighs about 12 pounds and should be positioned directly above the spine. As the angle of deviation from this position increases, so does the weight carried by the neck muscles. At a 60 degree angle the weight can be as much as an 8 year old child. Understandably this causes soreness and pain in the neck that can spread to the upper back, shoulders and even down the arms.
Prevention is always better than cure so try these things if you think you might be affected:
- Look down to the screen with your eyes
- Raise the phone or tablet up to eye level
- Take frequent breaks from your device
- Improve your posture generally to be more upright
If you do start getting a sore neck:
- Arch and stretch your neck and upper back backwards whilst on your breaks
- Exercise regularly to strengthen your core, back and neck muscles
- Relax your muscles using warm bath, heat pads or a soothing massage.
If you do have a sore neck, shoulders or back from a modern, sedentary lifestyle, please get in touch for a chat about how massage may help.