Of course you wouldn’t! Yet the way many of us use our smart devices (mobile phones, iPads and mobile game consoles) means that this is in effect what we are doing. And the increasing use of these ‘smart devices’ is resulting in a significant increase in neck, back and shoulder related health problems. So severe is the issue that doctors have given it its own catch all diagnosis – ‘Text Neck’!
Research undertaken a couple of years ago showed that while our heads weigh on average around 5-6 kilograms, as we tilt our head forward to use our smart devices the effective weight on our neck increases. At just a 15 degree angle of tilt of our neck, the effective pressure on our neck more than doubles to 12 kilograms. At a 30 degree angle, the effective weight on a person’s neck (including the normal weight of the head) increases to 18 kilograms – that is the equivalent of carrying a 13 kilogram bowling ball on one’s neck. At a 60 degree angle, the pressure on a person’s neck increases to a whopping 27 kilograms!
On average it is estimated that people who use mobile devices are on these for between 2-4 hours every day. This is an extraordinarily long time to be carrying the equivalent of a 13-22kg bowling ball around on one’s neck. Give it a go some time and see how you fare!!!
The increasingly sedentary lifestyle that such devices are encouraging is exacerbating back and neck issues that office workers experience from sitting at desks for prolonged periods of time. Sustained pressure on our necks results in those muscles being overused, causing fatigue, tightness and pain. Moreover, by moving our neck and shoulders away from a proper postural position, it may also impinge on our nervous system, causing pain and numbness down into our hands. And tight muscles prevent a proper postural position being re-established without outside intervention.
In addition, tension caused by tight muscles around our neck can radiate up into our head causing severe tension headaches which can resemble a migraine in its severity. I have encountered children as young as 12 years old who regularly suffer these text neck related headaches.
These health issues are causing an increasing number of Australians to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars each year on treatment such as physiotherapy, osteopathy or chiropractors. While these are effective in treating the symptoms of text neck, in most cases next to no time is spent on actually addressing the underlying issue that causes the pain to occur.
A properly designed regime of exercises aimed at keeping the muscles around the shoulder, neck and spine flexible while strengthening muscles that are underutilised when using mobile devises can encourage better posture and reduce or even eliminate pain from occurring.
Exercises that utilise the muscles at the top of the shoulders (the trapezius or traps as they are known colloquially) and top of the chest (pectorals) should be largely avoided. A proper regime of stretches should be utilised to ensure these muscles are allowed to relax back to a normal resting state.
Instead, particular focus should be on exercises which strengthen the muscles at the back of the shoulders (rhomboids) and those muscles under the arms (commonly referred to as the lats). Shoulder stability exercises that aim to strengthen the muscles which form the rotator cuff are also important. Doing so also allows other muscles around the neck to rest, helping ensure they do not become tight through overuse.
Do you suffer from text neck?
If you currently suffer from back, shoulder and neck pain and would like to find ways to eliminate this pain for good (not just temporarily), email us at Be Your Best Health & Fitness for a free consultation: [email protected]
