Text Neck Syndrome

Chiropractors are reporting more cases of strain than ever before.  Commonly referred to as text neck, resulting from the overuse of today’s tech such as cell phones or tablets.  I often squirm when observing guests using their cell phones at my office.  They all tend to mimic this horrifying posture:

  • Flexed at the hip
  • Hunch-backed
  • Staring down at their mobile device (sometimes just inches from the screen)

I jokingly say that it’s just a matter of time before our bodies merge with technology and we transform into robo-humans.

Ideal Posture

First, allow me to clarify that I’m excluding individuals who suffer from specific spinal conditions.  Our spines are generally capable of handling certain loads and stresses without injury.  If not, we would all be suffering from some form of spinal damage each time we carried something heavy or engaged in activities requiring us to be in less than ideal postures.  However, this doesn’t mean that repetitive movements don’t have a detrimental effect on our spines long-term.  Rather that we are built to take on high amounts of physical stress.

Due to gravity, our bodies constantly endure downward stress on our spines.  This usually occurs without injury every day.  There is an argument to be made about what the “ideal” posture is to minimize the amount of stress on our spines.

For the purpose of this article, it’s important to note that the ideal curvatures of the spine are based on theoretical models that are published in reputable peer-reviewed journals. (1)

Click here for Exercises to Help Improve Your Posture.

How To Evaluate Your Posture

There are two simple ways to visualize your posture at home; the side and front.  From the side, draw a line (often called a plumb line) connecting your ear to your shoulder joint (AC joint) to the hip, knee and ankle.  Observe how these landmarks fall in line.

Next, observe your posture from the front.  Note any deviations left or right that you notice if you were to draw a line splitting your image in two through the middle.  Anything falling outside of the line would be considered “out of alignment”.  A health professional would analyze the effect that your posture has on your musculoskeletal system.

For more information consult a Chiropractor or Physical Therapist to have your posture assessed for a more detailed analysis.

Physical Proof

Research has been published on the health consequences associated with poor spinal or postural alignment.  Thoracic kyphosis (hunch-back syndrome) for example, has been associated with the following health concerns (2):

  • Impaired physical function,
  • Pain and disability,
  • Impaired pulmonary function,
  • Increased mortality

As a practicing chiropractor, I have seen first-hand the clinical benefits of reducing excessive curvatures in my office.  Patients who had their mis-alignment addressed have reported less aches and pains, improved breathing, better sleep, and overall improved physical function.

What Texting Does To Your Neck

How ‘Text Neck’ Affects Your Spine

As your head leaves the plumb line it effectively weighs more.  The effective head weight in some individuals can result in it weighing as much as 60lbs more than their natural head weight!  Can you imagine the consequence over time of that posture on our bodies?!  This leads to an increased demand on the soft tissues of your neck and back to hold the head in a forward position for an extended amount of time.

Obviously, limiting the amount of forward and flexed head posture to shorter duration’s helps to minimize the stress on your body.  Since our spines are resilient, it is able to withstand these movements under normal circumstances as stated earlier.  Otherwise, we would all be suffering from neck and back pain every time we used our mobile devices.

Reality Of Technology

This is the point at which we may start feeling the effects on our bodies.  Strain on our muscles, joints, discs and eyes are entirely possible if we are using technology for most of the day.  It’s also possible that we will ultimately feel the strain after having our head forward and flexed for a long period of time.  In my opinion, this is a learned behaviour and as such can be unlearned.  Therefore, try to limit your exposure to mobile devices for short periods of time.

But the reality is that technology and the applications that we are accessing on our mobile devices are highly addictive.  This causes us to keep our heads glued to our phones or tablets for an extended period of time.  Many cell phone manufacturers now include a timer with the newest operating system update in order to detail the amount of time you spend on your phone.  I would argue that these companies knew all along just how addictive their products were, as it was built into the design.

Posture Test

Tips To Implement Change

  • Limit your use of cell phones to help protect from text neck.
  • Pay attention to the metrics of phone use and see where most of your time is spent.
  • If social media is the culprit, assign a specific time during the day that you will check your news feed.
  • Get out of the habit of feeling “FOMO” (fear of missing out) when checking social media.
  • Set the notifications on your device to OFF no matter how many times the app reminds you to do otherwise. This way the device doesn’t rule over you and you avoid constantly checking your phone each time you receive a Like, Share, or Comment on social media platforms.

If after trying all these tips you still find yourself in pain, consult with a health professional trained to address your concerns. See a Chiropractor!  The master system controlling all your body’s function and healing is your nervous system.  It controls all your muscles, cells, glands, organs, and tissues.  Removing interference to your nervous system and addressing the underlying cause of your problem is the only way to truly heal.

Click here to learn more about your Nervous System – What Conventional Medicine Doesn’t Want You To Know.

 

References:
1. https://idealspine.com/cbp-research/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26378354

What The Neck? Are You Short-Circuiting?

Have you ever thought about how how much you strain your neck throughout the day?

You look down to:

  • Text
  • Reply to your email
  • Check Facebook
  • Send a tweet
  • Type on your keyboard
  • Read
  • Speak with your children

…And the list goes on and on!  This can potentially add up to several hours each day that your neck is tilted forward and/or down.

Why Does This Matter?

Your neck is the connection between your brain and the rest of your body.  The messages your brain needs to send must travel through your nervous system which is encased by the bones of your spine.  Therefore, if the spinal bones in your neck are continually forced into a forward (or looking down) position, it puts a great deal of pressure on your nervous system.

This interference causes “electrical problems”.  Whereby, the information that needs to flow freely in the nervous system can no longer do so.  It can cause a “short-circuiting” effect in your body.  This is where certain areas of your body develop illnesses or issues because they are lacking all of the information they need to function at 100%.

Additionally, these misalignments can lead to Forward Head Posture.  This is a serious condition that must be addressed by a chiropractor.  The doctor must work on bringing the carriage of the head back into alignment with your neck and shoulders.

alignment

What Is The Proper Alignment For Your Neck?

If we look at you from the side, your ears should be centered on your shoulders.  This gives your cervical spine (your neck) the correct curve to allow your nervous system to function properly.  Free of any misalignments.

However, if your ears are lining up closer to (or surpassing) the front of your shoulders, your neck is no longer in proper alignment.  This means you are experiencing a significant loss of curve in your neck.  Therefore aren’t able to allow the messages to travel properly within your nervous system.

This is a very serious problem, because even a loss of curve by 1 degree puts significant pressure on your nervous system, never mind the potential for a couple of inches.

Misalignment can actually develop into a loss of curve, or even a reversed cervical curve and can put immense strain on your health.

This Condition Can Lead To Experiencing:
  • Migraines
  • Breathing problems
  • Heart disease
  • Various nose, throat and ear problems
  • Learning difficulties
  • Emotional problems

This is such a critical area of your spine that must be free of misalignments to allow your body to express real health.

Have you noticed this problem in your spouse or your children?  It is especially worrisome for children to have reversed cervical spines, as it can compound into many problems throughout their lives.  And as we all know, when problems are left unaddressed, they tend to get worse, not better.

As we are spending more and more time on our devices and computers, the unnatural strain we are putting on our necks becomes even more prominent.

Click here to read, ” Is Today’s Technology Destroying Your Health?”

What Is The Solution?

Find a chiropractor in your area that can help you to express optimal health.  Follow the care plan laid out for returning the proper curve to your spine.  Especially in children as the rate of complete correction can be quite high, as they are growing and developing quickly.

10 Desk Exercises You Should Be Doing Every Day

9 Desk Exercises You Should Be Doing Every Day

A sedentary lifestyle has recently been coined the new smoking.

Can you imagine! The negative effects of sitting for a living are now rivalling the known health dangers of regularly inhaling deadly poisons! Wow. Let’s do something about it!

Yes, many of us have jobs that require us to sit long hours at a computer, driving, sitting in meetings, sitting at our desk, or sitting on the subway or train.

Let’s take a few minutes every hour or two, to move, stretch, and get our blood flowing. It will not only help your body feel better, but your mind will also reap the benefits of added oxygen flow and feel the joy of movement and stretching!

It is important to be mindful of your posture while at your desk or sitting in various positions. Try to sit up as straight as possible, and don’t lean in toward your computer.

If you are straining to see your monitor, make the font larger or reposition it, as the very last thing to want to be doing is tilting your neck forward to see your screen.

Over time, this can cause your neck to begin to curve forward and create a ‘forward head posture’. This is incredibly problematic for your body because your brain must be able to send all of the information your body needs to be able to function through your central nervous system. If your bones in your neck have shifted forward out of alignment from straining to see your screen, it puts an immense amount of pressure on your nervous system (which is encased by your spinal bones) and makes it very difficult for the information to get to all of the places it must reach to have your body function and heal at 100%.

Focus on stretching your neck and back muscles, arms, shoulders and legs when you take a few moments regularly to move that body! Get your coworkers involved, as they are in the same position as you – hunched over your screen for hours on end!

Businesswoman stretching herself or exercise while working at office - office syndrome concept
Stretch your arms and shoulders.
Portrait of a young smiling woman at the desk with books on her head, sitting straight, looking at the camera. Education concept photo
Can you do this? Can you balance a book on your head and continue working? This will help to train you to sit up straight and correct your posture.
Young attractive woman at modern office desk, with laptop, stretching, getting a little exercise during the day, office workout, completing difficult task, time for lunch. Business concept illustration
Stretch! Move your arms, reach for the ceiling and feel your blood circulating.
Young attractive woman at modern office desk, with laptop, stretching, getting a little exercise during the day, completing difficult task time for lunch. Businesswoman against white isolated background. Business concept illustration.
Arch your back and stretch your arms up, reach your neck back and up and hold for 10 seconds.
Young Happy Businesswoman Doing Fitness Exercise On Yellow Pilates Ball In Office
Stretch your arms and use your chair to rest on, extend your legs and feel a stretch.
male office worker,exercising during short break in work at his desk in office
Stretch your arms out and forward, and let your arms reach back to stretch your shoulders and expand your chest with your breath.
The image of business woman doing exercise at the office
Move your body side to side and let your spine move freely and stretch.
Portrait of smiling executive exercising in office
Stretch your legs and hamstrings with the support of your desk and feel the blood reach down to your toes.
Young Businesswoman Sitting On Chair Meditating In Office
Take a moment to centre your thoughts with a mini meditation over lunch. Focus on your breath and bring your thoughts back to your breath when they flit about to other ideas.
Portrait of young smiling woman wearing suit sitting at home office desk in front of laptop stretching with enjoyment after the work is done looking at screen with happy expression
Stretch your arms and wrists regularly throughout the day and remember to smile often! 

 

Cracking Open The Biggest Myths About Chiropractic

Cracking open the Myths of Chiropractic

Have you ever heard someone say,

“ohhh I go to the chiropractor, but I don’t let him/her touch my neck.”

Or, “I would never go to a chiropractor, they crack bones!”

Well let me “crack” it open for you and dispel any myths about chiropractic that you may have heard.

First off, let’s define what an adjustment is and what the benefit is to the body.

A chiropractic adjustment is the manual manipulation of the vertebrae of the spine to correct structural alignment and improve the body’s physical function. When the bones of the spine are not in proper alignment (also called a subluxation), pressure on the nervous system can result, leading to health problems, pain, and diminished information flow from the brain to the rest of the body.

Now that we understand what a subluxation is, let’s examine four of the most common myths of chiropractic.

Myth 1: An adjustment to the neck causes stroke

Based on current data, the chances of having a stroke after having a chiropractic adjustment to the neck is 1 in 8 million. However, the benefit of removing subluxations in the neck region is to provide a clear path for the brain to be able to communicate with the rest of the body via the spinal cord. As blockages occur over time, the messages from the brain are not able to travel as efficiently to the rest of the body, so removing these blockages is crucial to maintaining health.

Myth 2: Getting an adjustment hurts.

The most common response of a chiropractic patient is relief and relaxation. Taking the pressure off of the nervous system allows the body to function better and that leads to a feeling of comfort. Occasionally, a patient will report muscle tenderness after an adjustment that can be likened to muscle soreness after a workout.

Myth 3: Once you go to the chiropractor, you will have to be a patient for life.

Once you truly understand the benefits of chiropractic care, you will want to be a patient for life! Most people begin seeing a chiropractor because they are experiencing a particular complaint (ex. back pain, headaches, frequent illness). Once that complaint is under control, it is up to the patient to decide how they want to proceed with their care. It is important to understand that continuing on a maintenance plan will help to diminish the effects of a stressful lifestyle, repetitive movements at work, and can help to boost the immune system, energy levels and overall level of health, while preventing illness and problems in the future.

Myth 4:  Chiropractors Crack Your Bones

Yes, the sound that is made during a chiropractic adjustment does make a cracking noise. But the reality is that your bones are not being cracked, but rather as the joints of the spine are moved back into proper alignment, the fluid around the joints releases a gas, which makes a popping sound. Remember, eggs get cracked, your bones get adjusted!

If you have further questions about chiropractic care, feel free to discuss your questions and concerns with your chiropractor, they are experts in their field.