Four Helpful Ways To Stop Text Neck

Text neck syndrome is something that is becoming more relevant in today’s modern world.  While we all love our devices, they are causing us harm in the neck area.  All of this looking down is making the spine lose its upper curve. 

We all are born with three distinct curves in our spine. These curves are there for a reason and help naturally align the body.  However, the upper curve is being affected by the amount of time we are looking down. 

This can be seen in just about everyone.  In fact, go to a crowded place and look around.  Most people have some degree of text neck, unless they are seeing their chiropractor often. 

Text neck typically appears as a hump between the shoulders or in the upper neck/back area.  It presents itself a little differently, however, it is pretty visible once you understand what you are looking for. 

Most people have this type of condition.  This condition does not go away or get better on its own.  You will need chiropractic care in order to ensure that your neck gets better.  This will be an ongoing process as well, you didn’t get into this position overnight and you are not getting out of it that quickly either.

Text neck will not go away on its own.

Text neck syndrome only gets worse overtime.  As your head moves more forward, gravity takes hold and starts to pull on it, causing the condition to worsen. 

It is vital that you take care of your spine, as it is the only one you have.  Pain from other joints such as your knees and hips could be due to a misaligned spine. 

Many medical doctors only work with the area that is causing pain.  For example, if you go into the office with a knee issue, your doctor will look only at your knee and not the entire body.

However, chiropractors are different, we work with the entire body from head to toe. 

Think about it, if your body isn’t aligning correctly, then every step is jaring on places that were meant for that.  This wears down the body’s natural defenses and causes pain. 

While it could be adjusted out, many people don’t think to call a chiropractor near me due to knee and hip pain.  However, a misaligned spine via text neck syndrome or otherwise could certainly be the issue. 

1-Put your devices up higher.

Looking down is what causes text neck.  Our bodies were designed to move and work and not stare into screens for hours.  Think about our ancestors, they worked the fields and farms and were only looking down when the tv first came out and sat on the floor. 

This was the first time in history that we saw such an increase in this phenomenon.  While our tvs have been put up on the stands and walls, we have handheld devices that have been handed to us.

These devices are always on us, such as our phone or tablet.  We enjoy playing games on them and watching movies, but that puts us at risk for text neck. 

2-Rework your workstation with better ergonomics.

There are many ways you can reduce your chances of getting a text neck. Setting up your workstation at work to ensure you are not looking down at your monitors is one way.  This is a very simple task but could really help put less strain on your neck and back. 

Most of us that use computers have monitors sitting directly on our desks.  Taking a couple of large books under the monitors or getting a small shelf to hold them up will help you get your workstation more ergonomically correct. 

3-Avoid working on laptops.

If you work on a laptop a lot, you will be a prime candidate for text neck.  They are not meant to be very ergonomically correct.  When possible, connect them to a monitor that is up higher or a keyboard that can be put at a good level while the entire computer is elevated. 

This will allow you to work better and have less stress on your neck and back.

4-Look up more.

Have you ever felt fatigued in your upper back or neck area? Many people feel this after watching a video on their phone or playing games for hours.  It is quite common really. 

That is your body telling you that it needs a break.  We are not meant to look down as much as we do, and we don’t counter this motion with looking up enough.  Try setting your monitors, phones and tablets up so you are forcing yourself to look up.

To help assist with text neck, chiropractors have a variety of methods that they use.  Some chiropractors will use a device called a Denneroll, which is made of foam and made specifically for text neck situations. 

However, others will simply use their hands and manually manipulate your spine into alignment.  There isn’t one single method that works better than another, it is simply a preference by that particular chiropractor. 

You may have to have a massage to loosen up the soft tissues that surround the particular bones.  However, follow what your chiropractor tells you to do.  They may have you do some exercises at home. 

You may not actually be in pain with a misaligned back.

While most of us have some form of text neck, that doesn’t mean that we are actually in pain.  In fact, many people with text necks are not in pain, but often feel fatigued if they look down for too long. 

While you don’t have pain, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get it looked at and taken care of.  Waiting until you are in pain or have injured your back could mean that you will be out of work and laid up for a while. 

While you could prevent this by seeing a chiropractor often and getting properly adjusted.  Take the time out of your busy schedule and give your back some love.  This is very similar to getting your car oil changed or keeping up with its maintenance. 

You will have less problems, if you are proactive and not wait until you have a real problem.