THE PERILS OF ‘TEXT NECK’
Think your kid’s posture is starting to suffer from always looking down at a cellphone?
It is, says a national chain of physical therapy clinics, which reports more teens are complaining of “text neck,” or back and neck pain that can only be explained by the strain on the body caused by constant viewing of hand-held technology.
“We have teens experiencing the same shoulder, neck and back pain usually felt by people 30 years older,” said physical therapist Megan Randich, facility manager for Athletico in Westchester, Ill. “They shouldn’t be experiencing those issues.”
Randich said spine specialists also are seeing evidence of strain from cellphone, tablet and laptop use in high school athletes who complain they don’t have the normal range of motion — or that they feel pain when trying to throw a baseball, strike a football stance or perform in other sporting activities.
The physical therapists’ findings echo research published in 2014 in the National Library of Medicine, which warned the extra weight — sometimes up to 60 pounds — on the cervical spine caused by looking down can lead to wear-and-tear on the spine and degeneration and result in the need for surgery.
Elaina Towns, a mother of three in Palatine, Ill., said she and her husband try to enforce rules to limit their kids’ screen time and, thus, strain on their bodies. The family doesn’t allow technology use during dinner or at family gatherings. By 10:30 p.m. all electronics must be docked in a charging station and remain off all night, she said.
She said she thinks people growing up in this era are at risk for text neck.
“I have kids who are very active and not plugged in all the time, but nonetheless, I completely believe that this could have an effect on this generation moving forward,” she said. “They don’t talk on the phone, for starters, so all their communication through peers is through texting. They’re not even picking up their heads.”
Will stretching help?
Athletico, an Oak Brook, Ill.,based company with 350 clinics across the U.S., is so concerned about the prevalence of text neck that it has produced a list of stretches and exercises teens may do to correct the damage and improve damaged tissue.
The exercises include:
Pinch your shoulder blades back behind you, working to touch your elbows. Once back as far as you can go, hold the position for 5 seconds before relaxing. Repeat 20 to 30 times.
Sit up tall with your head held high. Pull chin toward your chest, creating a double chin, and hold this position for 5 seconds. Repeat this 20 to 30 times.
Stand in the middle of a doorway and hold both ends of the door frame. Lean forward until you feel a stretch. Hold this position for 5 seconds and repeat 20 to 30 times.
Randich added another way for teens to combat text neck: Get outside and be active.
“Before this generation, there was so much more outdoor free play,” she said. “Activities used to counter any poor posture or positioning. They’re no longer doing that.”