What is Text Neck?

 

Living with neck pain in Cross Lanes, Charleston, St. Albans, Teays Valley, and Nitro, WV? Put your recovery in the skilled hands of Dr. Jay McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center.

What Is Text Neck?

Text neck is the term used for symptoms that occur due to looking down for long periods. Typically, this happens when you’re looking down at your phone. However, hanging your head down over a book, report, or even to do your nails can lead to text neck if you stay in that position for too long.

Why does this happen? The human head weighs around 10 to 12 pounds. Your neck is designed to hold that weight upright. When you sit in what is known as the Forward Head position, the weight of your head is being distributed to places of your neck not meant to withstand it. This can impact the spine, nerves, muscles, and ligaments in and around the neck.

How Do I Know It’s Text Neck?

Neck pain can come from a variety of issues. It’s important that you know how to differentiate text neck symptoms from symptoms of other conditions. If you are experiencing text neck, you likely have a combination of several of the following symptoms.

• Headaches
• Shoulder, upper back, and neck pain
• Trouble with balance
• Curved spine, especially around the neck
• Trouble with vision that wasn’t there before or not as bad
• Hunched back
• Muscle spasms
• Pinched nerves
• Pain in the arms

If you experience such symptoms and they’re not addressed, it will only worsen. In serious cases, text neck can lead to spinal disc degeneration.

How to Address Text Neck in Cross Lanes, Charleston, St. Albans, Teays Valley, and Nitro, WV

Fortunately, text neck can be treated with a two-part plan: visiting your chiropractor and making some lifestyle adjustments. After an assessment, Dr. McClanahan at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center will determine the best forms of chiropractic treatment. Your recovery plan will likely include:

• Spinal adjustments to correct any misalignment
• Massage therapy to help relieve tension and promote circulation to the neck area
• Therapeutic exercises designed to stretch and strengthen damaged tissues

Other treatments might be utilized as well. You’ll also be given recommendations for things you can do in your daily life, such as adjusting your habits and stretches you can perform at home or work.

Don’t let neck pain slow you down. If you live in Cross Lanes, Charleston, St. Albans, Teays Valley, and Nitro, WV, schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan to start your journey to recovery. Call Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center at (304) 776-1520 today.