Over the past decade, technology has become an essential component of our day to day lives. Typically, it has been said that Americans spend an average of 8.5 hours in front of a screen each day. We utilize technology for everything we do and unfortunately, our bodies are suffering from this.
What is tech neck?
People do not realize how serious the pain in our neck can be due to screen time. Tech neck is known as the tilt in our neck from looking down at our phones, which can cause great damage to our spinal cords. Tilting your head puts pressure on your spinal cord, which will soon after leading to back pain. If you spend most of your day on a computer or looking down at a phone screen, you may be developing tech neck already.
How can I avoid this?
Although it is very hard to not use our electronics, there are some ways to prevent this from occurring. Here are some tips on how to prevent this from occurring:
- While texting, bring your phone up to in front of you so you are not tilting your head down.
- Look with your eyes instead of with your head.
- For all you tech enthusiasts, it also may be time to lower the amount of time you use your electronics.
- For example, make a no phones at the table rule or turn off your notifications.
- Take breaks: if you are sitting at a desk, make sure you take a break from the screen every hour or so and take a walk.
- Exercise: make sure you are doing exercises to help strengthen the muscles around your neck.
How we can help:
Visiting a chiropractor or physical therapist at Comprehensive Healthcare Group is a great way to ensure you get the help you need to treat your tech neck. At CHG, we are dedicated to minimizing your neck and back pain caused by technology. Our chiropractic services provide hands-on manipulation for the problem area and work to reduce the pain. If you are experiencing constant neck pain, make sure to visit a chiropractor at Comprehensive Healthcare Group to help!
