What is Text Neck?

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Have you heard of the term “text neck”?   You will see this more often as cell phones, iPads, or other handheld devices are everywhere. If you take a second to stop and look around, you will see young people as well as parents and older adults looking down at their phones with their heads parallel to the ground.

Our bodies were not designed for that type of repetitive stress and strain. As an example, taken from the Washington Post; “the human head weighs about a dozen pounds. But as the neck bends forward and down, the weight on the cervical spine begins to increase. At a 15-degree angle, this weight is about 27 pounds, at 30 degrees, it’s 40 pounds, at 45 degrees, it’s 49 pounds and at 60 degrees, its 60 pounds.” * That is significant!

Why?

Think about carrying a 60-pound child on your neck and shoulders for hours throughout the day. So obviously over time, there is a significant amount of stress to the muscles, joints, discs, ligaments and tendons in your neck and upper back causing neck pain, upper back pain and headaches. Long term issues from text neck can lead to overall changes in a person’s posture and health. If you don’t think you look down at your phone often, you can check how much screen time you actually use, (most phones will give weekly updates on this), and it may shock you.

At ProActive Chiropractic, we can help with alignment of the neck and upper back as well as postural exercises and strengthening to keep your spine and nervous system functioning at its very best for years to come. Call us today and have you and your family evaluated to stay healthy! Now through the end of June 2020, ProActive Chiropractic will be donating our first day examination fees to the St. Louis Fisher House. We love our patients and making a difference in our community! “Be ProActive…and Stay Active!”

*Ref. Lindsey Bever, Washington Post

Why Do I Need A Chiropractor When I can “Pop” My Own Neck?

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There are many people who “pop” their own neck throughout the day to gain some type of relief or simply without trying during a stretch.  So why is that different than having a chiropractor adjust your neck?

Feeling the need to adjust your own neck could be a sign of an underlying problem or condition.  This occurs due to daily repetitive stresses and strains on the body or postural issues.  For example, sitting at a desk all day long at a computer, or carrying a book bag weighing 20 pounds, causes excessive stress on the spinal joints.

Because of these unwanted stresses on the spine, joints will become inflamed, restricted, and uncomfortable.  This could even lead to a “pinched” nerve if left untreated.  Most of the time when you “self-manipulate”, you are simply moving areas above and below the actual restricted area of the spine that needs to be adjusted properly.

Chiropractors train for a minimum of four years learning the spine and how to adjust it properly.  Proper adjustments will relieve the restricted area and release any pressure placed on the surrounding nerves.  Often if you “self-manipulate,” it may make some popping noises and provide some relief similar to a chiropractic adjustment due to releasing chemicals called endorphins, but it can cause damage.

When a certain area of the spine is restricted or not moving properly, the areas above and below must work harder to compensate for the lack of motion.  This means those joints you continually self- manipulate over and over are moving too much causing ligaments, muscles, and tendons to be unstable and lead to further problems down the road.

So, if you find yourself constantly “popping” or “manipulating” your own neck or back, please call to schedule a complete exam to assess the movement and function of your spine to prevent any potential injury or further damage.  We will then determine the necessary course of treatment including adjustments, postural recommendations, and exercises if necessary, to fully aide your body in functioning the best it can.