TECHNOLOGY’S EFFECT ON THE BODY
SHORT TERM SYMPTOMS FROM TEXT NECK
Neck, Back, and Shoulder pain
Texting can cause either pain in one specific spot or a general feeling of achiness covering a large portion of the back, neck, and shoulders.
Rounded Shoulders and Forward Head Posture
Texting can cause muscles in the neck, back, and shoulders to become imbalanced due to forward head posture making it difficult to keep good posture
Reduced Mobility
Texting can cause tightness in the neck, back, and shoulders
Headaches
Staring at screens can cause headaches along with muscle spasms from the neck up into the head
TEXT NECK DEFINITION
Overuse syndrome involving the head, neck and shoulders, usually resulting from excessive strain on the spine from looking in a forward and downward position at any hand held mobile device, i.e., mobile phone, video game unit, computer, mp3 player, e-reader.
LONG TERM AFFECTS
The effects of long term forward neck posture leads to “long term muscle strain, disc herniations and pinched nerves.”
Forward Head Posture results in loss of vital capacity of the lungs by as much as 30%. This shortness of breath can lead to heart and blood vascular disease.
“For every inch of forward head posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds.”
RECOMMENDATIONS
Use a chair with a headrest
Stretch!
Keep your phone at eye level
