From adults to children, almost three-quarters of all Americans use some sort of mobile device. While these devices have made advancements both for productivity and convenience, there is a downside: Text neck. This new medical issue has risen from the number of people using devices by looking down instead of maintaining good posture. If you are a frequent user of a mobile device, be sure to learn what text neck is, top ways to avoid worsening a condition, and how working with a premier, local physical therapist in Cheyenne can help.

What is Text Neck?

If you watched Jerry Maguire in the 1990s, you may remember the funny quote, “do you know that the human head weighs eight pounds?” On average, a human head can weigh anywhere from eight to over 10 pounds. When frequently looking down for hours and hours each day, this causes stress on the neck. Worse, as you continue this use over time, it can actually change the spine. Why? Depending on how far down you look at a mobile device, the angle creates added weight and added stress. From here, a person can experience:

• Headaches
• Stiffness
• Pain throughout the neck and back
• Change in spine
• Inflammation

Tips to Improve

Even if you have been using mobile devices for years, it is never too late to start making improvements to avoid or alleviate text neck. One of the main things you can do is to hold your phone up higher and review things at eye level. If you are spending a lot of time on your device, be sure to take breaks. Look away, move your neck around, stretch, and be sure you maintain good posture. When you follow the guide to good posture, you will feel better in the long-term. If you feel pain, be sure to stretch, use hot or cold treatments, and speak with a physical therapist on how to improve the quality.

Working with a Physical Therapist

It is best to work with a physical therapist as soon as possible to avoid long-term effects of text neck. When you work with a team of experts, they will help you learn good habits to develop and how you can sustain them in the long-term. Not only can they help you alleviate symptoms for text neck, but also help you improve your posture, too. A physical therapy office’s spine care services can cover a variety of treatments including assistance with lower back and neck pain caused by text neck, poor posture, and many other issues. When the spine in healthy, you will feel much better!

Make sure you make the proper changes to your mobile device routine and see one of the physical therapists at North Platte Physical Therapy. Our team excels in spinal care, as well as a variety of other areas, to promote a healthy lifestyle. Through a series of exercises and treatments, we’ll teach you proper posture techniques that you can use to avoid damage from long-term mobile device use. Contact us today to schedule your appointment!