Put the phone down, and paddle out already. Photo: Unsplash. Credit: Jan Böke.
For whatever reason, we just can’t seem to put our phones down. Whether in line at the grocery store, crossing the street, or waiting for dinner to cook, it seems the phone is always out and always in hand. While there are plenty of other health concerns relating to this technology, the easiest to assess thus far has been deemed the “text neck.”
Too much texting while tilting the head and neck down can be a major source of pain for many people. People become so focused on the information on the screen that they hold their neck and upper back in an odd, abnormal position for an extended period of time. Holding this position often strains the spine and locks up the head, neck, and shoulders. The stress on the muscles can cause fatigue, muscle spasms, and even stress headaches.
As technology has expanded from phones to tablets and other handheld devices, the prevalence of the text neck has expanded. In the future as technology expands to more and more uses, the problem will only worsen.
While the impact of text neck is not fully understood, this type of stress in the long term could have even more serious consequences. It’s likely that text neck could lead to pain and dysfunction of the discs and joints in the neck and upper back. For surfers, text neck can have other serious repercussions, like keeping you out of the water. Surfing depends on the prone paddling position. This position already strains the neck as well as the upper and lower back, and chronic text neck combined with surfing stress could put you in enough pain to keep you on the sand.
So what are a couple ways to combat text neck?
The most important one is to put the phone down: get outside, talk to a friend, heck even watch a movie. Just unplug from your phone and move your body in more natural ways. If you’re already experiencing neck discomfort, take the time each day to stretch out the neck, shoulders, and upper back. In the long term, this can make a big difference in your health and happiness.
When you do need to use your phone, adjust your habits to minimize neck pain. Pull the phone further away from the body and upward toward eye level. Have trouble seeing the text? Make the text a size bigger. Your eyes and neck will thank you. These changes might feel awkward at first, but over time they will become second nature. Work to develop these healthier habits.
Finally, if you are tied to your phone for work or otherwise, develop different components of fitness to help compensate for the abnormal neck position. Building muscles in the back as well as increasing neck and back flexibility can help the neck combat stress with strength. There is no substitute for unplugging from the phone altogether, but there are ways to help your body deal with this stress. Watch the 4 minute yoga series below for a couple helpful neck stretches.
