Posted by MVMT Team
How many times a day do you find yourself looking down on your phone? Too often?
If so, you may be at risk for a repetitive strain injury known as text neck. To say that this condition is modern is saying the least. The ubiquity of smartphones today has given rise to it and has affected more and more people. Based on a survey, 7 out of 10 Canadians use a smartphone to access the internet.
Causes of a Text Neck
As the name implies, the main cause is excessive time spent looking down on your phone. When you hung your head forward, the weight of your head increases hence the force placed on the neck also increases. Your muscles, joints, and ligaments become stressed as they work harder together to hold your head in such a precarious angle.
This condition is also known as turtle neck posture or anterior head syndrome.
Symptoms to Watch Out For
The unstable position that the neck assumes when you look down on your phone results in tension in the deep muscles of the neck and shoulders. You know you are developing text neck if you experience the following:
- Pain in the neck and shoulders when using your smartphone. The pain can be a dull ache, searing pain, or radiating.
- Stiffness also happens when it becomes difficult to move your neck.
- Tightness in the shoulder muscles.
- Head forward posture and misalignment with the neck and shoulders.
- Tension-like headaches.
If left untreated, text neck can become a precursor to more serious conditions like arthritis, curvature of the spine, disc compression, and muscle weakness. You may also develop an upper thoracic postural abnormality known as the dowager’s hump.
Make These Exercises A Habit!
Stop the habit of constantly looking down your phone. Start a new one.
Let’s get started with these easy exercises.
- Sit or stand straight with your shoulders and jaw relaxed with your mouth closed. Next, look up to the ceiling and open your mouth. Lean back a bit further and close your mouth. Do this mouth exercise a few more times and feel the stretch in your neck.
- Sit straight on a chair and look forward. Keep your head still as you slowly bring your chin to your neck as if you are tucking it in. Then elongate your neck by pushing your head away while keeping your jaw relaxed. Hold it for a few seconds, release your chin, then repeat a few more times.
- Stand barefoot with your feet hip-wide apart. Bend your knees and place your hands, palm face up, underneath your toes. Place them to fit into wrist creases and press into your palm with your feet. Relax your head and hold this position for a few seconds.
While these exercises can help relieve the tension on your neck and shoulders, it’s still very important to manage your screen time, or at the very least, modify your posture when looking down on your phone.
If the pain continues or worsens after these text neck exercises and lifestyle change, do not delay visiting a physiotherapist to help you address your condition and design a custom treatment plan.
"Mwanzoni mwa wiki hii, Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo wa Mfumo.""" Ni mara nyingi sana? Ikiwa ndivyo, huenda ukawa na hatari ya kupata jeraha la mkazo unaorudiwa-rudiwa linalojulikana kama shingo ya maandishi. Kusema kwamba hali hiyo ni ya kisasa ni kusema kidogo. Uwepo wa simu mahiri leo umesababisha na kuathiri watu wengi zaidi na zaidi. Kulingana na utafiti wa hivi karibuni, zaidi ya watu 7 kati ya 10 nchini Canada hutumia simu zao za mkononi kuwasiliana na mtandao. Kama jina linavyodokeza, sababu kuu ni kutumia muda mwingi kuangalia simu yako. Wakati kichwa chako kinapopandwa mbele, uzito wa kichwa chako huongezeka, na hivyo nguvu iliyowekwa kwenye shingo huongezeka. Misuli, viungo, na viungo vya mwili hufadhaika kwa sababu ya kufanya kazi kwa bidii ili kushikilia kichwa chako katika mwelekeo usiofaa. Hali hii pia inajulikana kama msimamo wa shingo ya kasa au ugonjwa wa kichwa cha mbele. Mtazamo wa chini wa shingo unapoangalia simu yako huathiri misuli ya shingo na mabega. Unaweza kuwa na tatizo la shingo ya maandishi ikiwa una maumivu ya shingo na mabega wakati wa kutumia simu yako. Maumivu yanaweza kuwa maumivu yasiyo na hisia, maumivu makali, au maumivu yenye kung'aa. - Mshtuko hutokea pia unapopata ugumu wa kuhamisha shingo yako. - Mshiko katika misuli ya bega. - Msimamo wa kichwa mbele na kutoelewana na shingo na mabega. - Maumivu ya kichwa kama ya mkazo. Ikiwa haitibiwa, shingo ya maandishi inaweza kuwa kiashiria cha hali mbaya zaidi kama ugonjwa wa viungo, mwinuko wa uti wa mgongo, msongamano wa diski, na udhaifu wa misuli. Unaweza pia kusababisha kasoro ya msimamo wa kifua cha juu inayoitwa hump ya mjane. Fanya Mazoezi Haya Yawe Desturi! Acha zoea la kutazama simu yako mara kwa mara. Anza mpya. Hebu kuanza na mazoezi haya rahisi. - Kukaa au kusimama moja kwa moja na mabega yako na taya kupumzika na mdomo wako kufungwa. Kisha, angalia juu hadi dari na ufungue kinywa chako. Nyooka nyuma kidogo zaidi na kufunga kinywa chako. Fanya mazoezi haya ya mdomo mara chache zaidi na uhisi kunyoosha shingoni mwako. - Kuketi moja kwa moja juu ya kiti na kuangalia mbele. Weka kichwa chako kimya polepole na ukamleta kidevu chako kwenye shingo yako kama kwamba unakifunga. Kisha nyayo zako ziwe ndefu kwa kusukuma kichwa chako mbali huku ukiacha taya yako ikiwa imeridhika. Fanya hivyo kwa sekunde chache, kisha uondoke kwenye kidevu chako na urudi tena mara kadhaa. - Simama bila viatu na miguu yako hip-upana mbali. Bend magoti yako na kuweka mikono yako, kiganja uso juu, chini ya vidole vya miguu yako. Weka kwenye mviringo wa mkono na ushinikize kwenye kiganja cha mkono wako kwa miguu yako. Punguza uzito wa kichwa chako na uendelee katika hali hii kwa sekunde chache. Ingawa mazoezi haya yanaweza kusaidia kupunguza mvutano kwenye shingo na mabega yako, bado ni muhimu sana kusimamia wakati wako wa skrini, au angalau, kubadilisha msimamo wako unapoangalia simu yako. Ikiwa maumivu yanaendelea au kuimarika baada ya mazoezi haya ya shingo na mabadiliko ya mtindo wa maisha, usichelewesha kutembelea mtaalamu wa matibabu ya mwili kukusaidia kushughulikia hali yako na kubuni mpango wa matibabu ya kawaida.