Let’s be honest. We are all addicted to our phones…
‘Text Neck’ is a new medical term and a world-wide health concern which impacts millions. It describes a repetitive stress injury or overuse syndrome in the neck, caused by prolonged use of mobile devices with the head bent downward and not moving. Also called Tech Neck (or Forward Head Syndrome), text neck is commonly associated with texting, but it can be related to many activities performed on phones and tablets while looking downward, such as surfing the web, playing games, or doing work.
When texting on a phone, it is common to bend the head forward and look down at a 45° or 60°angle. The neck is not able to withstand this amount of pressure (22-27kg) over a prolonged period.
TEXT NECK SYMPTOMS typically begin as a relatively mild ache in the neck or upper back:
This forward head posture compresses and tightens the muscle, tendon and ligament structures in front of the neck while the muscles, tendon, and ligament structures behind the neck become long and weakened. This plays a role in numerous symptoms that stem from the cervical spine, including:
- Stiff neck
- Neck pain and/or upper back pain
- Muscle weakness: shoulder muscles are often weak due to bad posture.
- Headache
- Clicking of the neck joints.
Do you suspect you might be suffering from Text Neck? Book an appointment with your physiotherapist today.