In today’s world everyone from children to seniors have endless technology at their fingertips. With the press of a button, we can Facetime with a friend across the country. We can get a map to a destination with a couple clicks and play games on the go. Ultimately, we can have instant gratification for both knowledge and entertainment. As technology continues to evolve, we seem to be forgetting about the toll it is taking on our bodies. We were not designed to be looking down all day long at our phone or computer.
Did you know that the head weighs about 10-12 lbs? Therefore, when you are standing properly your head is not putting any undue pressure on your cervical spine and neck, which houses the spinal cord that send messages from your brain; the control center for your whole body. The moment we tilt our heads to look at our electronic device, we add quite a bit of pressure to the neck. When you tilt your head 15° forward you are putting about 27 lbs. of weight on your neck; when you tilt 30° forward you are putting about 40 lbs. of weight on your neck; 45° forward is about 49 lbs. of weight on your neck; and 60° is about 60 lbs. of weight on your neck.
The extra weight from tilting your head forward puts pressure on the discs in the neck and spine. The muscle in the neck and upper back hold the head up. The farther forward your head is the more the muscles in the neck and upper back have to work. With continuing tilting the head, you will eventually experience neck pain and shoulder pain along with severe headaches. Even worse, you could end up with: wear and tear, degeneration, forward curvature of the spine, digestive problems, restricted breathing and possible cardiovascular defects.
In order to prevent these problems from occurring, Chiropractors suggest the following:
1. Hold the device in front of you and do not look down.
2. Practice keeping your neck back with your ears over your shoulders. A great way to practice this is by squeezing your shoulder blades together.
If you try these techniques and you are still not feeling any relief, it is time to make an appointment with your chiropractor! They can help you get back to a healthy spine and relieve the pain you are experiencing. In addition, Chiropractors can suggest some exercises to improve your posture.