Text Neck

​Text neck is defined as that bent over posture when using the mobile phone or device. We generally know that it isn’t good for us. However in the absence of immediate pain or suffering, along with the rush of endorphins stemming from interacting with our device, it is human nature that most will deem it unimportant.
 
While it is true that no one dies from a text neck, many do not fully realise the impact it can have throughout their lives. Ongoing poor posture has the potential to cause recurrent tension in our muscles, permanent changes to our spine and affect our moods. That means physical and emotional changes to our lives.
 
There is talk that poor posture can also affect our hormone levels within a short period of time and though that requires further research, we do know that many who experience low moods and sad, self absorbed thoughts for long enough are more vulnerable to depression and anxiety which are a result of definite shifts in hormonal levels. Poor posture can cause all that? That’s more than what most people expect.
 
Physical Change
 
Many adults now spend most, if not all of our day with their phones. Not surprisingly, some admit to feeling incomplete without their phones – but that’s another issue entirely. The point is adults and a growing number of teens use their phones – a lot.
 
Research shows that bending the neck forward by just 15 degrees can increase the force on your neck by up to 12kg. Most people bend their necks up to 60 degrees while texting or reading on their phones, which can lead to adding a whopping 27kg onto your neck thanks to gravity. 27 kg is rather like carrying a six-year-old child or a large sack of potatoes. Which is heavy, especially for frequent prolonged period - on the neck. It doesn’t take long for the neck and upper back muscles to tighten and fatigue from that recurrent stress. Muscle tightness in these areas have been shown to cause neck pain, stiffness and headaches.
 
A healthy human neck has a natural curve to it - this is called a cervical lordosis. It looks like the letter ‘C’ in reverse.
 
This curve works together with two other curves along our spine to help deal with compressive forces and prevent degeneration. One of the first things prolonged and or frequent text neck will do is to reduce or remove this natural protective curve, thus leaving the individual potentially vulnerable to neck problems such as neck pain, stiffness and headaches. This is becoming more evident even in younger people. There has been some evidence that the loss of cervical lordosis is linked to dizziness as well.
 
Emotional change
 
But what does posture have to do with our sense of happiness? We know that a person who is depressed will often have a slumped posture while a happy and energetic person will tend to have an upright posture. Research in randomised studies has shown that the participants with upright posture reported higher self-esteem, more arousal, better mood, increased ability to solve problems and lower fear. Those who slouched used less words in general, more negative emotion words, fewer positive emotion words and displayed more self-absorbed behaviour. If a person slouches most of the day and for months or years, could this eventually lead to a higher probability of depression? Could high mobile device usage be part of the cause of the higher rates of depression in more affluent nations?
 
These are worrying findings as children are given mobile phones and other devices from a younger age. Apart from issues with brain development, lower social interaction and less exposure to delayed gratification amongst other things, their spines learn to slouch for increasing periods of time while they are growing. Back and neck issues that health practitioners use to see in much older adults, are appearing more frequently in children, especially teens. What this will mean for the younger generation will no doubt be discovered over the next decade or so.
 
So what can be done about it?
 
It’s really simple – teach our kids to have every screen at eye level. That means lifting the mobile device to eye level. If they will be on the device for more than 10-15 minutes, encourage them to call instead of messaging. If they are gaming, have it set up with some sort of keyboard or mouse, while setting the screen higher.
 
Have an alarm set to go off within 30 minutes to remind them to get up and move around if they have been sitting. If they have been at the device cumulatively for hours, have them take a break and do something physical to exercise not just their bodies, but their brains. These habits taught and reinforced early are much like teaching our kids to say “Please” and “Thank you”. After a period of reminders, you hope to see a better habit emerging as a life skill.
 
If you or your family suffer from tension headaches, stiff or sore neck or back, address them. Often leaving tight and stiff muscles unresolved can make it difficult for a child or adult to improve their posture. Chiropractic has been shown to be effective in resolving these problems.
 
If you would like to find out more, please visit www.soulchiropractic.com.au or contact Soul Chiropractic for an appointment on 0415 300 341 or [email protected]. Online booking is also available on the website.
 
 
1.  Assessment of stresses in the cervical spine caused by posture and position of the head.
Hansraj KK1. Surg Technol Int. 2014 Nov;25:277-9.
 
2.    The Effect of Technological Devices on Cervical Lordosis.
Öğrenci A1, Koban O1, Yaman O2, Dalbayrak S1, Yılmaz M1. J Med Sci. 2018 Mar 3;6(3):467-471. doi: 10.3889/oamjms.2018.107. 2018 Mar 15.
 
3. J Craniovertebr Junction Spine. 2017 Jan-Mar; 8(1): 9–14. doi:  10.4103/0974-8237.199877
4.   Loss of cervical lordosis: What is the prognosis? Laura Lippa, Luciano, Lippa, and Francesco Cacciola
 
5.  Do slumped and upright postures affect stress responses? A randomized trial  Nair, S., Sagar, M., Sollers, J. III, Consedine, N., & Broadbent, E. (2015).. Health Psychology, 34(6), 632-641.
6.   Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2000 Jan;25(1):69-83.
7.  Upright posture influences salivary cortisol. Hennig J1, Friebe J, Ryl I, Krämer B, Böttcher J, Netter P.
8.  IT kids: exposure to computers and adolescents’ neck posture and pain 2006. L. Strakera,  P. O’Sullivana, G. Kendallb,c, N. Sloanb, C. Pollockd, A. Smitha and M. Perrya
 
9. Further reading published by the World Federation of Chiropractic: http://www.wfcsuggestedreadinglist.com/cervical-neck-pain.html

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