Technology has become a big part of our daily lives and we often find ourselves checking our smartphones and mobile devices for long periods of time.
Health care professionals have taken notice since more patients are complaining about pain in their upper back, shoulders and neck in a modern day ailment which is being called “text neck”.
Moncton chiropractor Dr. Ryan Coster with the Chiro Clinic Moncton says problems occur since most people are holding devices in their hand and not totally upright in front of their face.
“They have them down on their lap for example and as a result, the head dangles forward. While they are texting or whatever it may be, two minutes seems to turn into ten minutes and as a result, the neck muscles and the discs in the back of the neck start to strain,” he notes.
Although he mostly sees adult patients, Dr. Coster says he is treating more children – sometimes as young as five years old – who are spending more time using electronic devices.
Without being treated, Dr. Coster says “text neck” can lead to ligament problems with less stability in the neck and can predispose you to other things such as disc injuries.
