Text Neck

written by runnergirl training

Have you heard of text neck? It is neck pain from prolonged looking down at a cell phone, tablet or other device. It adds strains to muscles, nerves & joints that are not made to hold the head in that position. See more below!

The symptoms of text neck are upper back, shoulder & neck pain and/or stiffness. Nerves can become pinched and cause pain to radiate in the back, neck, shoulders and arms. It is especially worrisome for children and teens who may develop lifelong problems and pain as a result of text neck. It can also lead to early onset arthritis in the back or neck.

There are a few easy ways to prevent text neck. Hold your phone or tablet at eye height to avoid neck strain by looking down. Every 30 minutes take a break from looking down and move your back, neck & head to prevent stiffness. Have your computer screen positioned to eye level.

There are ways to undo the effects of text neck. Stretching the neck and upper back muscles works effectively to counteract overuse.

Stretch 1:

Rotate your chin over your shoulder. Hold for 10-20 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Stretch 2:

Bring our ear toward your shoulder. Hold for 10-20 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Stretch 3:

Place your arm on the wall and turn your head to the opposite shoulder. Gently pull your head forward with your other hand. Hold 10-20 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Socks are Sockwell compression socks. I was not asked to show them in this post but chose to since I wear them daily!