The probability of you reading this on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or any electronic device, with your back hunched and your head supported by your neck protruding forward and shoulders hunched is high.
Before we dive right in, take a pause and correct your posture- straighten your back and align your neck, keeping it as straight as possible.
Our day-to-day errands are so driven by evolving technologies causing a significant impact on Health.
I can easily place my bets on a million youngsters who wake up from their sleep as a digital screen lights their eyes.
It sounds convenient, easy but builds up to a dangerous impact on our bodies much later in life.
Origination: Text Neck Syndrome
Text Next Syndrome, a term coined by Chiropractor Dr Den Fisherman in the US, 2008, on observing the hunched posture of one of his patients when engrossed in texting.
On average, our human brain weighs 4-5kg supported by the neck when protruded forward, creates a significant tension on muscles, ligaments, tendons of the neck and shoulders.
If you take a quick glance at your screen time, it will amount to an average of 4-5 hours daily, which would inevitably lead to “text neck” given our current attitude to our posture.
Consequences
Digital devices continue to make our lives more accessible at the cost of our Health when used excessively.
One of our body’s costs is Text Neck- accompanied by stiffness and pain in the neck and spine.
It progresses at a snail’s pace, getting alleviated temporarily with medication and physical therapy, later evolving into bones and spinal degeneration, even numbness accompanying tingling sensation in the arm, depression on the cord or nerves if not treated correctly.
Experiencing headaches while looking down, or instant pain in the upper back or neck, nagging pain in the shoulders due to handheld devices is a warning to pay heed to one’s posture and take necessary precautions to one’s neck and spine.
Here’s what to do?
Begin with scanning your posture when spending prolonged hours on electronic devices. Look out for simple symptoms ranging from mild pain and stiffness in the neck to numbing sensation in the arm.
Congratulations on the identification of the same, You’re Halfway There!
Begin simple, with placing devices at eye level, doing throat exercises under a provision in case of prolonged stiffness and pain.
Increase the number of frequent breaks from straining your eye with digital devices followed by increased physical activity coupled with neck massages to relieve your throat of the unknowing stress it faces.
Lastly, make an individual effort to commit to the consistency of the above coupled with digital free activity.
An activity you personally enjoy and feel liberated without your phones or smartwatches interrupting.
It’s time technology gets a much-needed break! as humans strive to balance strenuous work and mental wellbeing.
Research has shown that people spent about seven hours, on an average, simply gazing at their phone screens, every day, during this period.
And while we were riffling through client emails, WhatsApp forwards, or those aesthetic celeb vacay stories on Instagram, our throat bore the brunt of it.
If you are someone who experiences shoulder and neck pains almost constantly, then there is a chance that you may be suffering from the ‘Text Next’ Syndrome.
Text neck is not an official medical condition, but rather a term invented to describe a pain in the neck arising from having your head hung down for long periods while excessive watching or texting on handheld devices.
It is also called ‘Turtle Throat’ or ‘Tech throat’ Syndrome.
Given the tremendous rise of mobile users all around the world, this condition has become a growing health issue, especially with children given their greater inclination for cellphone usage.
It can also cause shoulder pain, upper back pain, and headaches, besides pain.
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