What is ‘text neck’ -symptoms and signs? 

Text Neck: Signs & Symptoms 

Worldwide, the use of cell phones is estimated to be 6 billion, with the current population at 7.5 billion, it means about 7 among 10 use a cell phone, youngsters being more into their use, with compulsive checking every 10min, using late nights and immediately on waking up being highly common. In a day the cumulative time spent on scrolling and typing is reportedly about 3 hours, which can go up to 8 or 10 hours on free days(no school/work).

text neck

Bending head to 15 degrees needs about 10kg of weight to be counterbalanced by the muscles of the neck, upper back, and shoulders,  while at 30 to 45 degrees, the common angulations needed to do texting activity causes stress of about 17- 23 kg, repetitively, injuring to muscles and joints of the spine in the neck, upper back, and shoulders.

What is Text Neck – 

Text Neck is a term used to describe the pain caused by texting that begins in the neck and upper back.

Text Neck is a developing issue on the grounds that countless individuals, including kids, are constantly using smartphones, iPads, handheld computers, and video games.

Signs & Symptoms of Text Neck – 

  • Sharp pain in the neck, upper back, and shoulders.

  • Stiffness in the shoulders and neck leads to a diminished scope of movement

  • Consistent headaches

  • Nerve pain with shivering and numbness in the upper limbs

  • Getting eye pain

  • Increase in pain on bending neck forward

  • Arthritic pain

  • A change in the bend of the cervical spine

  • In severe cases pain that transmits down to elbows, wrists, and fingers

Text Neck Treatment & Prevention – 

Raise the phone – 

Raise the phone. Move the phone, tablets, ipads, etc… up to eye level so the head does not need to be shifted forward or the neck needs to be bent forward

Take Regular Breaks – 

Avoid using your phone for some time. Try any type of head-forward posture.  If necessary, use an alert or application to set automatic reminders to take breaks from handheld gadgets.

Stand up straight –

Correct posture, with the chin, raised up and shoulders pulled back, keeps the body adjusted in a neutral position.

Work-out routinely. A solid, flexible back and neck are more ready to handle additional stress.

Some research demonstrates that youngsters who are dynamic in low-impact team activities or high-intensity sports are less likely to have neck pain.

How long does it take to heal from Text Neck? 

Text neck can be cured. Recovery generally takes around four to eight weeks yet requires continued self-awareness.

However, the healing time can change significantly depending on the severity of your condition and the consistency of your treatment plan.