Youth Connection : Preventing “text neck”

Cellphone and Health Concerns .

Preventing “text neck” By: Dr. George I. Traitses 

In the last issue of the Caribbean Xpress we gave you an article on Blackberry Thumb.

Too much texting caused some people to come down with painful Blackberry Thumb. Now today’s technology is being blamed for another malady: text neck. 

Canadians sent 110 billion text messages this past year.

According to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, 56.4 billion texts were sent in Canada in 2010, up 60 per cent from the 35.3 billion sent the previous year.

As technology advances, allowing us to do more tasks on smaller equipment, our bodies often pay the price.

Texting is an easy to get away with in certain situations. Kids text right under the noses of their teachers during school hours. Most of these kids are so good with their keyboards that they don’t even have to look at the device while composing and sending a message. Text messaging has become so much a part of teenagers’ lives that 87 percent of those who text said that they sleep with – or next to – their phones.

With a growing potential for injuries from technologies that we rely on, it’s important to minimize the risks. One problem that is becoming more prevalent is neck strain from the over-use of mobile devices, or “text neck.” What Causes Text Neck? Text neck is caused by poor posture when using a mobile device. It’s all too common to become hunched over with your head drooping forward and your shoulders rounded as you become engrossed in your messaging or games.

How to Avoid Text Neck
. • Sit up straight with your chest out and your shoulders back.
• Bring your arms up in front of your eyes so that you don’t need to look down to see the screen.
• Tuck your chin into your chest to look down rather than dropping your head forward.
• If you must use your mobile device for lengthy typing, invest in an external keyboard.
• Rest your forearms on a pillow while typing to help minimize neck tension.
• Avoid using mobile devices while in bright sun light. Straining to see the screen leads to jutting the chin forward, shifting work from the spine to the muscles that hold up the head. The best way to avoid text neck is to limit the use of your mobile device. If you need to send a longer e-mail, wait until you have access to a computer or consider calling the person rather than texting.

Stretches for Frequent Texters
• Hand stretch. Start with your hands in a fist and stretch your fingers out as wide as they’ll go and then return to a first. Shoot for about 10 stretches with each hand. For added resistance you can stretch a rubber band around your fingers.
• Squeeze a stress ball. Do this for approximately 30 seconds for each hand.
• Chest stretch. To counteract the hunched posture of texting, stand up straight with your arms down at your sides. Turn your forearms until your thumbs are pointing at the wall behind you.