Why Texting is Giving You Bad Posture and Neck Pain

Humans were designed to stand upright with everything in a perfect line. Yet, with the modern times people spend an average of 2-4 hours a day with their heads slumped over at an unnatural angle, texting and emailing on their phones. When in an upright position the average adult head weighs 10-12 pounds. However, when the head is bent forward gravitational pull comes into effect and the more bent the neck is the heavier the head becomes, putting more strain on the cervical spine and surrounding muscles.
Studies have shown that even when the neck is slightly bent forward there is still a significant amount of pressure put on the spine. When the neck is bent at a 15 degree angle there are 27 pounds of pressure on the spine, a 45 degree angle puts 49 pounds of pressure and a 60 degree angle puts 60 pounds of pressure on the cervical spine. This excess pressure on the spine helps expedite the loss of the natural curve of the cervical spine and can lead to early wear, tear, degeneration and surgeries due to excess stress on the spine and surrounding muscles.
“It is more important than ever to get regular chiropractic maintenance,” says Dr. Adam Jacobs, founder of SF Custom Chiropractic. “With the explosion of smartphones bad posture or what we like to call ‘text neck’ is becoming more common in younger generations.”
Good posture is when viewed from the side ears align with the shoulders, hips, knees and ankle. Good posture puts less stress on the spine but has also been shown to have positive effects on overall health. When the spine is in alignment the nervous system is also in alignment which causes the body to naturally boost the immune system leading to overall better health.
Bad posture, head tilted forward and shoulders rounded forward, decreases both physical and mental well being. Not only does bad posture cause a wide span of chronic pain throughout the body but it has also been linked to headaches, depression, heart disease and even neurological problems.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms find a local chiropractor in your area immediately, it will change your life.
Technology isn’t going anywhere so it is important that people realize the detriments of their bad posture and correct it. When looking at your phone make more of an effort to keep your head upright with a neutral spine, lengthening the spine instead of curving it in unnatural positions. This will not only improve your well being today but in the long run as well.  “A tip to have good posture is stand tall, try to be a inch taller than you actually are.  When you stand tall you automatically will correct your posture.“ says Dr. Jacobs.
If you’re suffering from upper back and neck pain from poor posture, we can help! Appointment slots fill up quickly so call the office to schedule your appointment today at 415-788-8700!