Spinal Health and Hand Held Screens

 Spinal health and hand held screens are a challenge.  In today’s world we seem to be on our phones an awful lot. Have you ever thought what that phone was doing to your neck though? These tiny screens could be affecting your spinal health a lot more than you may think. With a vast majority of the US population owning a cell phone it has become almost a necessity. It is now ranked up there with bills such as electric, gas, and water utilities.

spinal health and hand held screen

spinal health and hand held screen

How can our phones can hurt us and effect our  Spinal health and hand held screens?

 Spinal health and hand held screens can be an issue. With so many people on their phones, we need to discuss the consequences that follow with it and the possible side effects on your spinal health. Most people when on their phones have their head bent forward, to look down at the screen.

that becomes the normal curve in the neck, or rather lack of curve. Looking down constantly changes the angle of your neck from curved to straight. The straighter the neck, and the more forward it is, the more negative side effects we see.

 

Why is  Spinal health and hand held screens important?

Hand held screens, along with regular computer use has produced something we as chiropractors call “text neck”, or “tech neck.” The medical community also refers to this as anterior head carriage.  This condition has been associated with neck pain, upper back pain, headaches, and an increase in thoracic kyphosis.

 

How can a chiropractor help?

Chiropractors are trained to look at these improper curves and do their best to correct them. The average head weighs around 10 lbs. When it is pulled forward and looking down, that puts upwards of 60 extra pounds of force on the neck. This then puts abnormal strain on the muscles and can pull the bones in the spine out of line. Your chiropractor is one of the only professionals out there who is trained to safely and correctly move those bones back into their correct place. Further, they may give you at home exercises you can do to retrain the correct curve back into your neck again. 

 

So how do I stop this problem in the first place?

                The first step to fixing a problem is admitting there is one. If you are bending your neck forward to look at your hand-held screen every day, you are harming your spine. Bringing your phone up to eye level when texting or scrolling through your news feed puts much less strain on your neck. It may be inconvenient to bring the phone up that high, but if you don’t, you’ll be paying for it in the long run. There are also many convenient gadgets for sale online to help you view your handheld devices without straining your neck in the process. Talk to your chiropractor today to see how they can help you or someone you know! Check us out on https://www.ratemds.com/clinic/us-va-virginia-beach-proadjuster-chiropractic-clinic/