Text Neck Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Don’t let your mobile device be a pain in the neck!

Are you reading this article on your phone? If so, you’re likely looking down as you read these words–which puts your neck at a pretty uncomfortable angle. If you lift your phone by just a few inches, your neck should settle into a more neutral position.

There! Doesn’t that feel better?

Mobile devices have given rise to a new term: “text neck.” Text neck is an overuse injury resulting from the position most of us fall into when looking at our phones. It can cause several different symptoms, including neck pain and headaches.

Fortunately, physiotherapy at Dynamic Balance Physiotherapy can help you manage neck pain and other related symptoms–whether or not your cell phone is the root cause. We can also guide you through prevention tips for avoiding neck strain.

Schedule an appointment with us to learn more!

The Symptoms of Text Neck

Text neck isn’t really a new condition, but rather a catchy name for a repetitive use injury of the neck. Repetitive use injuries are fairly common and occur as a result of performing the same movement over and over–such as bending down to look at your cell phone.

People with this type of repetitive use injury do show several common symptoms, including the following:

• Pain: This pain can be located in the neck, upper back, or shoulders and varies in intensity and sensation. Some people report a sharp, stabbing pain in one area, while others complain of a general soreness across the neck and shoulders.
• Stiff Neck: Along with pain, some people report stiffness and immobility in their necks.
• Rounded Posture: A particular posture is associated with text neck–a forward head position and rounded shoulders. This posture results from weakened, imbalanced muscles.
• Headaches: Some people experience tension-type headaches due to tight neck and upper back muscles.

Tips for Preventing and Treating Text Neck

The best way to address text neck is to prevent it from developing in the first place! As with any overuse-type injury, your best prevention tool is movement. Don’t spend too long on your cell phone without taking frequent breaks, and avoid holding your neck and head in any one position–especially the classic “hunched over” position.

It’s also important to hold your device so that you can place your head and neck in a more neutral position. This is actually true not just for cell phones but for books, e-readers, or computers. If it’s a handheld device, hold it up so that it’s level with your gaze. Set laptops or computer monitors up as ergonomically as possible so you aren’t bending down to see your screen.

However, if you’re already struggling with symptoms from text neck, the physiotherapists at (practice name) can still help! A few weeks of rehabilitation can address your symptoms, helping to reduce pain and stiffness. Our team will help you find a solution that works for you, pulling from the following techniques:

• Manual Therapy: We’ll begin with hands-on manual therapy techniques such as soft tissue and joint mobilization, which can help address pain and stiffness.
• Stretches and Strengthening Exercises: We’ll start with simple stretches to improve the range of motion in your neck, then move on to exercises that help strengthen your neck, shoulder, and upper back muscles. By strengthening these areas, you’ll see improvements in your overall posture.
• Postural Corrections: We’ll also address any postural issues we notice and provide you with strategies for being aware of good posture habits when using your cell phone.
• Pain Management: We can help address pain acutely with hot or cold therapy, tissue mobilization, and targeted exercises.

No matter your symptoms or situation, the team at Dynamic Balance Physiotherapy will find a solution that works for you!

What to Expect At Your Physiotherapy Appointments

When you come in for your initial appointment, one of our physiotherapists will conduct a thorough evaluation to help us understand your symptoms and condition. We’ll take a full health history, including gathering information about cell phone usage, and perform several movement and posture screens.

Once we have a complete picture of your symptoms, we’ll develop your customized treatment plan. We’ll generally start with pain management techniques (if necessary) before moving on to passive and active stretches and strengthening exercises. We’ll walk you through exercises and treatments in our office and provide simple exercises you can do at home.

We’re also happy to discuss prevention tips, posture corrections, and ergonomic adjustments to your workspace.

Delete Text Neck From Your Life Today!

If you’ve noticed an increase in neck pain and stiffness, schedule an appointment at our surrey physiotherapy clinic today! Whether your neck pain stems from your texting habits or some other habitual movement, we’ll find a solution that addresses your needs.

Sources:

• https://www.physio-pedia.com/Text_Neck