Could smartphone use be giving you text neck?

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Could smartphone use be giving you text neck? Thanks for asking.

According to data from finder.com, the average Brit now spends 4 hours and 14 minutes using their smartphone each day. It's hardly surprising. Smartphone use has grown consistently over the last 15 years, to the extent that the devices have become almost like an extension of our arms and hands. Given we tend to hold our phones out in front of us when using them, our heads bow down in quite an unnatural position to look at the screen. And doing so for extended periods can cause posture problems, which is what American chiropractor Dr. Dean Fishman realised back in 2008 That was while examining a 17-year-old patient who had booked an appointment for neck pains and headaches. Fishman went on to coin the term text neck to describe her condition. What exactly does text neck look like? Well, as I've touched on already, it's a slouched position with the head tilted forward and shoulders rolled in. You see, moving the head forward increases the weight the neck has to support. Experts say that the head weighs from 10 to 12 pounds when in an upward position, with your neck pointing straight upwards. But when the neck is at a 45-degree angle, the weight increases more than fourfold to 49 pounds.

So our muscles strain to support the head, and the position increases pressure on the intervertebral discs. Misalignment of the spine can also affect other body parts and blood circulation, as poor posture reduces blood flow to and from the heart.

Headaches often come hand in hand with the neck pain brought on by text neck, and that's because the facial and eye muscles are connected from the skull to the cervical vertebrae. In short, constant phone use leads to muscle pain and stiffness, particularly in the neck and cervical area.

What's the difference between text neck and text neck wrinkles? Text neck wrinkles are horizontal lines that appear in the middle of the neck, due to frequent neck bending while looking at an electronic screen. These wrinkles can become permanent because the skin on the neck is very thin, and it can also contribute to a double chin. What can people do to avoid bad postures and the complications that they cause? Of course, seeking to reduce screen time is one way of dealing with it. Keeping your head and neck straight as often as possible will reduce the strain on your neck, while neck rotation exercises can also help strengthen your muscles. If you have an office job, you may want to reassess your posture at work, getting advice from an ergonomist or chiropractor, for example. One common recommendation is that you should aim to have the top of your screen at the same height as your eyes. In the same way, you could try to hold your phone at eye level whenever possible, although that can be tiring on the arm. Get up and move about regularly, and relax your eyes by looking into the distance. If you've been experiencing persistent neck pain for a while, check out the NHS website for guidelines on how to ease it yourself. If it still doesn't go away after that, it's time to go and see your GP. There you have it.

Now you know whether smartphone use could be giving you text neck. In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know for sure.