Conquering “Text Neck”

I admit it. I’m addicted to my iPhone. Work, life, scheduling, artistic pursuits, game playing, communication with friends, family and colleagues - it’s all too easy to access right there in the palm of your hand. For the most part, the smart phones of today are great and powerful magic boxes that keep us organized and connected. But look around. It’s easy to see how excessive use is affecting our bodies.

One of the biggest concerns in the world of ergonomics today is “text neck” - the neck bending (with associated awkward arm and hand postures) caused by excessive smart phone, tablet, and laptop use. Excessive forward neck bending increases the strain on your spine and forces your muscles to work extra hard to hold up your head. Your head is heavy, about 10-11 pounds. A forward head posture increases the effective weight on the neck to up to 60 pounds, forcing those overworked muscles and joints in your neck to really struggle to hold up your bowling ball with eyes. This can cause not only neck pain, but also discomfort, numbness, and tingling throughout the shoulders and arms. Chronic headaches and fatigue creep in and, in time, permanent damage can result. I think we can agree that completing those next few levels of bubble pops or finding the perfect GIF to express your current mood on Instagram aren’t really worth all that pain and discomfort. 

So what do we do about it?

Fortunately, even simple changes can really help. It’s just a matter of learning new habits and making sure you have the right tools to support them.

First, straighten your neck and hold your phone up to eye level whenever possible. I’ve found that using a Popsocket (or similar) phone grip helps a ton to keep my hands and arms relaxed while holding the device in a better position.

Second, take breaks. Yes, you still have 1,035 emails to go and you haven’t posted the picture of you and your dog at brunch yet, but seriously. Put the darn thing down for a few minutes and look up at the world. Or the dog. He’s cute when you’re not taking pics of him, too, right? Set a timer if you need to so that you can remember to stand up and stretch every 30-40 minutes. Also, keep emails and messages short while you’re using your handheld device. Your body will thank you. 

Third, check all your screens for ideal positioning. Use a laptop at work? That’s another hot spot for serious neck bending troubles. Use a simple laptop riser with an external keyboard and mouse while you’re at your desk. There are so many cool gadgets out there! Even fully portable ones. Another bonus? Better neck and back posture, as well as frequent breaks,  will likely keep you more alert and productive throughout the day. You can still get up for that caffeine break in the afternoon though. Let’s not get crazy. 

Need advice on equipment or more strategies to fix that achy neck? Give us a call today! Just use your headset, ok? 

Stay healthy!

The Ergo Lady