Are you working from home at a makeshift desk? Do you work in an office with a poor desk set up? Are you always looking down at your phone? Have you been binge reading books or watching Netflix on your tablet? Do you have text neck?!
“Text neck” is a term coined by Dr. Dean Fishman, a chiropractor, in 2009. Text neck is a repetitive stress injury or overuse syndrome when the head is flexed in a forward position looking at a cell phone or electronic device for a prolonged period of time. The flexed position causes an overlapping of overactive and underactive musculature in the chest, neck, and shoulders.
Everyone can have text neck! It is prevalent among 20% of high school students, 35% of college students, and 80% of adults! Out of all these ages, it is reported 79% of us only spend TWO HOURS of our walking day without our cell phones in our hands! Posture evaluations show that these individuals using cell phones are in 45-60° of forward flexion and as we increase the degree of flexion, the stress and weight on our cervical spine increase. The normal weight of our head when straight up and down is only 10-12 pounds but when increased to that 45-60° position, the weight of our head increases to 49-60 pounds!
So, why is text neck a concern to us as physical therapists? Technology continues to make its way into our lives for both recreational and work use. Nearly 15% of soft tissue diagnoses referred to physical therapy are for neck pain and having text neck may cause even more symptoms! From the neck up to the head, text neck can cause headaches and migraines or dizziness and vertigo. From the neck down to the upper back and arms, text neck can cause upper thoracic spine restriction, which is found in 13% of patients, and can cause arm and hand symptoms including muscle tightness, numbness, and tingling. It has even been found that text neck can cause a decline in our respiratory function!
As physical therapists, we are trained to provide treatment for text neck including lifestyle modification, manual therapy, and exercise. Speaking of our lifestyles… there is a 49% prevalence of neck pain due to our home posture habits. Did you know individuals who watch TV lying on their back in bed for two or more hours per day increase their neck pain risk by 6x?! Did you know an individual who watches TV or uses a computer in a slumped, seated posture increases their neck risk by 4x?! We can provide education to return to non-provocative, pre-pain activities. In our office, we offer one-on-one appointments to address concerns and answer questions, provide hands-on care, and push you towards your goals! Wouldn’t we all like to scroll social media pain-free?!