Playtimes HK Magazine Winter Issue 2018/2019 | Page 45

health
H
ave you been travelling on
the MTR or in a taxi without
even noticing that you
arrived at your destination?
Bumping into people you didn't see
coming? Almost fell down because of
a step you missed?
A common reason for all this
happening is that your nose is stuck
in your phone, scrolling for the latest
Facebook update, last minute emails
or writing reports.
Hong Kong is known for its busy
life and connected people. In 2016,
the Census and Statistic Department
of Hong Kong found that 96 per cent
of the population aged over 10 years
old had a smartphone, 82 per cent
of teenagers (10-14 years) and 99 per
cent of adults (20-49 years).
‘Text Neck’ is a modern term to
describe an overuse
syndrome, or repeated stress injury,
caused by an excessive forward or
downward head position on handheld
devices for an extend period of time.
It causes chronic neck pain, upper
back, shoulder pain, headaches and
increases your thoracic kyphosis.
Symptoms of ‘Text Neck’
Holding your head in the ‘texting’
position creates an excessive amount
of tension in the deep neck muscle.
The normal average force applied on
the spine is about 10-12lb (4.5/5.5kg).
Tilting your head forward 15 degrees is
enough to increase the force on your
spine by 125 per cent. This comes with
visible physical symptoms like:
• Stiff neck, soreness and difficulty
to move it, especially after long
static posture.
• Nagging or sharp pain and even
chronic pain (when it lasts more
than three months).
• Radiating pain towards the head
and/or the shoulders, upper back.
• Headache that is easily triggered by
looking down/forward while using
a device.
Invisible Symptoms Like:
• Cervical disc compression
• Muscle weakness
• Early onset of arthritis
Management of ‘Text Neck’
A few tips to to help avoid further
issues or worsening your condition:
• Hold the device at your eye level or
slightly under to release the force
applied on the spine.
• Avoid long static posture.
• Take a break as often as you can,
every 30 minutes to
• change your posture and stretch
your neck.
Physical Therapy can help you to
get rid of bad habits by giving you a
personalised programme on how to
improve your posture, increase neck
straightening and strengthening.
Be proud! Heads Up! Here is a
great video about the benefits of
good posture. www.youtube.com/
watch?v=OyK0oE5rwFY
Look out for your children on their
phone, growing with that posture
could damage their spine and create
neck and back pain in their life 
long-term.
Magali Salgodo is a physiotherapist
at The Round Clinic.
www.TheRoundClinic.com
Winter 2018
43