How much time would you estimate you spend on your phone throughout the day? 45 minutes? One hour? Take whatever your guess is and triple it and you might be getting close.
Recent studies have found that people spend an average of two and a half hours a day on their smart phones. That's roughly 75 hours a month or almost a month and a half every year!
I am sure most of you have heard of the new buzzword "text neck". Text neck is the term used to describe the neck pain and damage sustained from looking down at your cell phone, tablet, or other wireless devices too frequently and for too long. It has become increasingly common and over time can damage tissues and structures in the neck and upper back and can lead to pain. Looking down for that amount of time can result in the development of poor posture leading to muscle and nerve damage, disc compression and herniation, decreased lung volume capacity, early onset arthritis and spinal degeneration.
Thankfully there is an easy way to avoid developing text neck, put the phone down! Check your phone less often and try to sit in an upright posture and hold the phone in front of you so you don't have to look down. Sure, you are going to look a little goofy but your neck and back will thank you.
At Treasure State Chiropractic, PC we can help get you out of your text neck funk by adjusting the neck and back, working on the muscles in those areas and giving you postural exercises to strengthen and improve your posture.
So put the phone down, step away from the computer, and go enjoy this beautiful weather while we still have it!