Mobile phone users suffering from 'text neck'

Keeping the neck and head
stretched forwards for long periods
could eventually cause the natural
curvature of the neck to reverse,
potentially leading to serious health
problems

A new condition dubbed "text neck"
is on the rise due to the amount of
time people spend hunched over
their mobile phone and tablet
computer screens, chiropractors
have warned.
The affliction, caused by flexing the
neck for extended periods of time,
can be a forerunner of permanent
arthritic damage if it goes without
treatment.
Cases of the repetitive strain injury
are on the rise as smart phones and
tablet computers such as the iPad
become increasingly popular,
experts said.
In severe cases the muscles can
eventually adapt to fit the flexed
position, making it painful to
straighten the neck out properly.
One chiropractor said her company
had treated thousands of patients
for the condition, which can also
result in headaches and shoulder,
arm and wrist pain.
Rachael Lancaster, of Freedom Back
Clinics in Leeds, said: "Text neck is
caused by the neck being flexed for
a prolonged period of time.
"Sufferers are increasing as the
use of smart phones and tablet
computers become more popular."
The condition occurs because the
joints and tissue in the neck are not
built to withstand being flexed for
long periods, and spending hours
peering down at a screen puts them
under too much stress, she added.
"Imagine sitting on your ankle
sideways for 10 minutes. It would
feel stiff and sore when you
returned it to its natural position.
"That is exactly what people are
doing with their necks. If people
continue to put their necks in these
positions, the body will gradually
adapt to the stresses."
Keeping the neck and head
stretched forwards for long periods
could eventually cause the natural
curvature of the neck to reverse,
potentially leading to serious health
problems, she added.
The condition can be avoided by
taking regular screen breaks, and
looking straight ahead while
tucking the chin back towards the
neck every few minutes.
Rotating the shoulders with your
arms by your sides, sitting up
straight while texting and holding
the phone a little higher can also
help maintain a healthy posture.
Tim Hutchful, of the British
Chiropractic Association, said
doctors were seeing a rising number
of patients with similar neck
problems but that getting regular
exercise could help ward of
symptoms.
The average human head weighs
between 10lb and 12lb (4.5kg to
5.5kg), and flexing the neck makes
it harder to support like carrying a
similar weight at arm's length.
Children are most at risk because
their heads are larger in relation to
their body size than adults, and
women with slender necks should
also take extra care to maintain a
good posture, he added.
"When the head is over the
shoulders it is a bit like a balanced
see-saw, and when you move it
forward you need to put a force in
place to keep it in that position.
"The longer you are in that position
for, the more the muscles have to
accommodate it."
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