What is Text Neck?

This term has been used more frequently lately. The media is talking about it, and of course chiropractors have known about it. Text Neck is the catchy phrase that has been assigned to the collection of health concerns associated with the modern lifestyle. Specifically the neck pain, back pain, tight muscles, headaches and numb tingly fingers that can come as a result of looking at our cell phones, staring at a computer screen and reading for hours on end.

These lifestyle activities can add up to 8-10 hours or more a day in a forward head position with our neck joints flexed forward. This many repetitive hours in an abnormal position can take it’s toll on our health. There is an equation in physics which can be used to calculate the physical load on a structure. This equation tells us that for every inch forward the head moves relative to the center of the shoulders that it effectively doubles the perceived weight of the head. When we are bent forward looking at our phones our heads can be shifted forward up to 4 inches. This means that if the average human head weighs 15lbs that the perceived load on the spine can be as high as 240lbs! Multiply that by the number of hours spent in that position and it’s easy to see why this could overcome our bodies ability to compensate.

Recent scientific literature indicates that up to 70% of all headaches are caused by improper neck biomechanics. Text Neck is just the newest catch phrase to indicate that our lifestyles can be detrimental to our health. At Coast Spine Center we utilize the latest technology, such as digital posture screening and x-ray to analyze the spine looking for damage. Damage can occur suddenly in the case of trauma or it can accumulate over time. As structural rehab specialist Coast Spine Center can identify and correct problems, big or small.

If you or someone you know is experiencing neck pain, back pain, headaches or more serious symptoms such as tingling or numbness it is a good idea to schedule an evaluation with a structural correction specialist with the right know how and equipment to get you back to normal and functioning at an ideal level of health.

Recently Coast Spine Center in Port St. Lucie treated a young patient who had daily headaches for almost a year and which were making it difficult for her to study and attend school. Other treatment such as physical therapy and medications were tried with no effect. Within a week of structural corrective care based upon Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) protocols her headaches were drastically reduced in frequency and severity. Within a month she reported not having headaches at all. Daily pain of any kind is not normal. This just goes to show that you don’t have to live with pain, if you haven’t already consult with a CBP certified chiropractor in your area. We offer complimentary consultations and digital posture assessments to determine if you are a candidate for structural corrective care. Call to make an appointment or click the link on our website.