IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Summer 2017 | Page 13

INDUSTRY INSIGHT CHIROPRACTIC SPONSORED CONTENT Do You Suffer From TECH NECK? As you might imagine, “tech neck” is an overuse syndrome involving the head, neck and shoulders, usually resulting from excessive strain on the spine from looking at mobile phones or computers. Anyone who regularly uses hand-held devices while tilting their head at an uncomfortable angle, including children and teens, are at risk for this condition. Dr. Sean Hayes Did you know? • The average person spends 4.7 hours on a cell phone per day. • Teens spend, on average, 5,000 hours per year texting with their neck at an uncomfortable angle. • For every inch that your head comes forward, it adds stress equal to 10 pounds of additional weight that your neck has to support. What are the effects of tech neck? Regularly looking in a forward and downward position can cause headaches, neck pain, shoulder and arm pain, breathing Dr. Benjamin Hosler Dr. Gregory Gray, Jr. compromise and many other problems. Text neck can pull the entire spine out of alignment, which can result in muscle strains, disc herniation, pinched nerves and early arthritis. What can you do to prevent or treat tech neck? Try to hold your phone at eye level to avoid an awkward position for your neck and head. You can also do stretching, and schedule regular chiropractic adjustments and massage therapy. Pain Free! Your Goal… Our Mission! Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall | Summer 2017 | icmags.com 11