Cell phones and neck pain
A new catchphrase in the health care world is Text Neck. It is a term that describes neck pain and damage sustained from looking down at a cell phone, tablet, or other electronic device for too long. In today’s society the cell phone is very much a necessity to most people and as a result, individuals begin to experience pain from overuse of these handy little devices.
Symptoms of Text Neck
- Upper back pain (nagging pain to sharp, with or without muscle spasms)
- Shoulder pain
- Radiating pain in the arms or hands due to poor postural alignment
Treatment of Text Neck
- Use handheld devices at eye level as much as possible
- Take frequent breaks every 20-30 minutes
- Physical Therapy
- Core strengthening/stabilization exercises
- Cervical musculature stretching
- Soft Tissue Mobilization
- Modalities for pain
The link below does an excellent job of explaining cervical spine anatomy and how it relates with neck pain, including “text neck”: https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/spine-anatomy/cervical-spine-anatomy-and-neck-pain
Image courtesy of: Always Connected. How Smartphones and Social Keep US Engaged\