Being obese and overweight is not the only problem that for those who face chronic neck and back pain. Text neck is increasingly becoming the second largest cause of neck pain. Think of it this way, our heads are not light parts of our bodies. Our heads weigh around a few KGs and the neck bends forward down.
The 15 degree incline when texting increasing the weight pressure on the spine, at 15 degree the weight is 10 KGs, at 30 degrees its 20 KGs and at 45 degrees its 25 KGs. The more we bend our neck the fore weight the spine has to endure.
Smart phone users typically spend 2-4 hours a day hunched over watching videos, reading emails or texting. If you feel like that weight is not a big number, just imagine you walking 4 hours a day with a child resting on your neck. While it’s perfectly OK to use a smart phone, excessive use is the biggest problem.
In this day and age both young and old people are addicted to their smart phones and this in turn over time is bringing forth more and more patients who are suffering from neck pain.
Tom DiAngelis, president of the American Physical Therapy Association‘s says, “effect is similar to bending a finger all the way back and holding it there for about an hour.” He also added “As you stretch the tissue for a long period of time, it gets sore, it gets inflamed,” he said. It can also cause muscle strain, pinched nerves, herniated disks and, over time, it can even remove the neck’s natural curve.
The pains of using technology and its adverse effects over time are definitely ones to be wary off. As technology becomes more and more accessible we as humans have to learn to use it in moderation so that it doesn’t harm our bodies in the long run.
Image Credits: (Courtesy of Dr. Ken Hansraj M.D & Washington Post)