You’ve got text neck
Anyone constantly using a handphone would have experienced neck pain and soreness.
Neck bent, head tilted forward, eyes on a screen – this typical posture when using a smartphone or tablet is causing a rapid increase in the painful condition known as text neck.
CNN founder Ted Turner once said: “To be happy in this world, first you need a cell phone, and then you need an airplane. Then you’re truly wireless.”
Certainly, for most of us, our handphones are our best friend; we are hardly ever parted from it.
We use our handphones to carry out numerous tasks every day – everything from making grocery purchases to watching movies.
Living two days without a handphone is like surviving unarmed in a combat zone.
It not only helps us to stay connected, but is also a key to entertainment, networking, navigation, schedules and so on.
Yes, no doubt, we are overdependent on it and it may have affected our social skills, but the handphone is indispensable. Love it or hate it, we just can’t ignore it.
A recent study by researchers at Baylor University in the United States found that college students spend an average of nine hours a day on their handphones.
Women students spend 10 hours a day on the device, while men spend almost eight hours.
Handphones and tablets are indeed changing the way we access information and entertainment, but more importantly, the use of these devices influences our posture and body mechanics in unhealthy ways that contribute to neck, upper back, shoulder and arm pain.
Furthermore, poor posture while sitting, standing, walking or in a static position can lead to more than upper body pain and stiffness; it affects other parts of the spine, such as the middle and lower back.
The billions of people using their handphones everyday are usually totally unaware that this usage can be detrimental to the spine.
Our neck typically curves backward, but this curve is being reversed as people look down at their handphones for hours each day.
“Text neck” is the term used to describe the neck pain and damage sustained from looking down at your handphone, tablet or other wireless devices too frequently and for too long.
The posture of bending your neck to look down does not occur only when texting. For years, we’ve all looked down to read.
However, people tend to do it for much longer periods nowadays with handphones, and it is especially concerning with young, growing children as it could cause permanent damage to their cervical spine that could lead to lifelong neck pain.
A load of hurt
How can using a smartphone or other mobile device cause so much hurt?
It’s all in how you look at it. Literally, looking down, dropping your head forward, changes the natural backward curvature of your neck.
Over time, that misalignment can strain muscles and cause wear and tear on the structures of the neck.
According to Dr Robert Bolash, a pain specialist at Cleveland Clinic in the US, three things happen when you drop your head:
● Your neck moves forward.
● Your shoulders round forward or lift up toward your ears.
● Your neck and shoulder muscles develop spasm.
“Neck muscles, in their proper position, are designed to support the weight of your head, about 10 to 12 pounds (4.5 to 5.4kg),” he says.
Research shows that for every inch you drop your head forward, you double the load on those muscles.
Looking down at your handphone, with your chin to your chest at around a 60-degree angle, can put about 60 pounds (27.2kg) of force on your neck.
The forward head posture causes shortening of the muscular fibres around the joints of the upper spine and overstretching of muscles around joints, commonly causing neck pain and soreness, which may become chronic over time.
In addition, looking down at your handphone too much each day can lead to:
● Upper back pain ranging from a chronic, nagging pain to sharp, severe upper back muscle spasms.
● Shoulder pain and tightness, possibly resulting in painful shoulder muscle spasms.
● Pain, and possibly, neurological symptoms, radiating down your arm and into your hand if a cervical nerve becomes pinched.
● Muscle fatigue, limited movement at the neck and decreased work capacity.
Muscle fibre injury and cumu-
lative damage from acute trauma to the muscles of neck and shoulders due to repetitive use of certain muscles.
According to recent research by American doctors, handphone users now spend an average of two to four hours a day with their heads dropped down and this results in 700 to 1,400 hours a year of excess stress on the cervical spine.
Eventually, in conjunction with a sedentary lifestyle, this could lead to serious consequences.
Besides muscle pain, text neck can cause a host of other health concerns.
Sitting in a slumped position restricts the ability of your lungs to expand, thus impairing lung capacity.
Inhaling less oxygen means that your heart needs to pump harder to distribute more oxygen-carrying blood throughout your body.
Nixing text neck
Technology isn’t going away, that’s one thing we can say for sure. So, what can you do to save your spine?
Prevention is the best medicine, so to avoid these posture issues:
Focus on holding handphones, tablets and e-readers level with your eyes. This prevents the head from drifting forward.
● Sit up straight with your head in a neutral position (ears over your shoulders) and your feet planted flat on the ground while using the phone.
Good posture is not only good for the health of your spine; it is good for your overall health and mood as well.
Researchers have found that standing straight elevates testosterone and serotonin levels, and decreases cortisol levels – all hormones that affect your mood.
● Avoid spending hours each day hunched over and looking down at your handphone.
There are apps that can alert users to help avoid prolonged periods of looking down.
● Use the 20-20-20 rule. Look at something that’s 20 or more feet away every 20 minutes for at least 20 seconds.
This significantly reduces computer vision syndrome, which causes eyestrain, dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, and neck and shoulder pain.
These symptoms are exacerbated by poor posture and lighting, as well as vision problems.
Also stand up, roll your shoul- ders back and walk around every 20 minutes, so that you’re not stuck in one position for long periods of time.
● Avoid using your handphone with a single hand.
● Use your index finger to text, not both of your thumbs.
● Try out new gadgets before you buy them to make sure they’re comfortable to use, and spend time setting them up in a way that works well for you.
● Don’t use your handphone or tablet for extended computer work.
Use your desktop or laptop computer instead and make sure it is arranged ergonomically.
Spinal surgeons recommend that computers or tablets be placed on an elevated monitor stand so that they sit at a natural horizontal eye level.
● Use a cervical pillow or roll while sleeping on your back.
Helpful exercises
The following exercises can help to alleviate the symptoms of text neck.
● Chin tuck exercise: Hold your head up straight while tucking your chin inwards (creating a double chin); hold for 15 seconds.
Neck side tilt: Tilt your head side to side (ear to shoulder) for 15 seconds.
● Neck turns: Turn your head side to side (chin to shoulder) for 15 seconds.
● Shrug your shoulders and move your fingers around to keep the muscles more relaxed.
● Shoulder blade pinches: While sitting or standing straight, pinch your shoulder blades together and back. Hold for a few seconds, release and repeat.
Perform 10 repetitions every hour throughout the day.
This move will help to strengthen the muscles of the upper back, which tend to get lengthened and weakened when you slouch.
● Pec stretch: Clasp your fingers behind your waist, press your shoulder blades together, straighten your hands and look straight ahead.
Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then repeat once. Perform this stretch three to four times a day.
● Prone Y extension: Lie flat on the floor with your legs shoulderwidth apart and your arms extended to form a Y-shape over your head.
Lift your torso off the ground while simultaneously externally rotating your shoulders so that your palms are facing upwards.
Hold this position for five to 10 seconds, then lower your body to the floor.
Repeat for three sets of eight repetitions.
Your first contact each day should be with a human being, not a machine. When you turn your handphone on, you turn the rest of the real world off.
Avoiding the handphone slump is simple and anyone can do it. It just requires a little self-discipline and awareness.
Nizar Abdul Majeed Kutty is a rehabilitation science researcher and senior lecturer in physiotherapy at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman. For more information, e-mail starhealth@ thestar.com.my. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.