Texting Is A Pain In The Neck!

Smartphones, tablets, laptops, e-readers and other electronic devices are causing havoc with their users spines.
 
People between the ages of 30-50, are sending and receiving on average at least five or six text messages on a daily basis. 

People under the age of 30, average sending a minimum of 3,000 text messages per month. In many cases, the volume is much higher.

79% of 18-44 year olds  have their phones with them 22 hours a day.

There's even a new term for people developing headaches, neck and shoulder pain, and back pain from using these devices: Text Neck.

Text Neck is an overuse syndrome involving the head, neck and shoulders, usually resulting from excessive strain on the spine from looking in a forward and downward position at any hand held mobile device, i.e., mobile phone, video game unit, computer, mp3 player, e-reader. This can cause headaches, neck pain, shoulder and arm pain, breathing compromise, and much more. 

What to do? I recommend these following:

1. See your Chiropractor. Chiropractors are the spinal health and posture experts. We can examine and find the cause(s) of your pain and poor posture and develop a treatment plan specifically for you to get results.

2. Practice good posture habits (ergonomics) when using your mobile device. These include:

• Hold your phone close to your body and at approximately eye level. To do this keep your elbows close your body, bend them so your phone is now eye level.

• Avoid using mobile devices while in bright sun light. Straining to see the screen leads to jutting the chin forward, shifting work from the spine to the muscles that hold up the head. 

• If sitting on a couch or chair, provide yourself with good back support (a pillow will work), then place pillows on your lap to support your arms and raise your phone closer to eye level. This also works well when using your iPad or laptop as well.

• Be mindful of holding your head over your shoulders and frequently perform chin tucks. A chin tuck is a simple stretch that can counteract poor posture. With your head level, simple pull your chin back (like you would be making a double chin), hold a few seconds, and repeat 5-10 times or more as needed.

• If your phone or device has a dictation program, use it!

• The best way to avoid text neck is to limit the use of your mobile device. If you need to send a longer e-mail, wait until you have access to a computer or consider calling the person rather than texting.

3. Exercise  to improve your posture and reverse the effect of Text Neck. This link has a series of 4 good exercises to do: 

http://www.thedoctorstv.com/articles/576-text-neck-exercises



For more information:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/omg-youre-texting-your-way-to-back-pain/
http://www.acatoday.org/pdf/Technohealthy/Text_Neck.pdf

The Dangers of Chronic Untreated Back Pain

This past weekend I attended a seminar by Dr. James Cox, the renown expert on treating chronic back pain, herniated discs, and stenosis. Dr. Cox is the founder and developer of the Cox Technic, and has published books on Low Back Pain and Neck and Shoulder Pain which are in their 7th and 4th printings respectively.

Some key points covered that all people with ongoing or returning spinal pain conditions should know:

~ Back pain that recurs or is ongoing and chronic causes nerves for pain and the sympathetic nervous system to grow in the joints and the discs of the spine. That means that each episode of back pain will be worse due to an overreaction of the nervous system. Pain that would previously have been a 3 then feels like a 9. Pain trains the brain to amplify pain signals. Then, even slight movements or activities set it off.

~ Chronic pain physically changes the brain, making it more susceptible to sensing pain. 

 ~13% of people with chronic back pain are suicidal.


~ Chiropractic adjustments and exercise decrease the brain's pain perception.


~ 3/4 of the people with herniated discs do not have nerve pain.

~ Sciatica (leg pain) without back pain is chemically based. Disc material leaks out and irritates the nerve.

~ Chiropractic adjustments reduce pressure in the spinal discs.

SMOKING IS A PAIN IN THE BACK!

Smoking contributes to chronic back pain. A new Northwestern Medicine study has found that smokers are three times more likely than nonsmokers to develop chronic back pain. If you want to lessen your chances of chronic and often debilitating back pain, avoid cigarettes.

How this happens is fascinating. Smoking stimulates parts of the brain that register pain signals, making them more sensitive. Essentially, if a pain signal from back pain would normally be 3, smoking primes the brain to register it as a 7. There seems to be a connection to addiction, so smokers who stop smoking show a lowered sensation to the chronic pain.

Medications, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, were shown to help manage pain, but it didn't change the activity of the brain circuitry. These overactive circuits remained ready to fire and flare up causing ongoing back pain.




http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141103142320.htm

YOUR NECK MAY BE CAUSING ALOT OF YOUR HEALTH PROBLEMS

Many people suffer from a number of symptoms and conditions that are coming from their neck (cervical spine). Symptoms include, but are not limited to:

• Headache that usually starts in the back of the neck or base of the skull and radiates to the head or around the ears
• Slight blurring of vision with slight pupil dilation
• Dizziness or easy loss of balance
• Nausea or poor digestion
• Pressure behind the eyes
• Unexplained fainting attacks
• Ringing in the ears
• Numbness in side of the face, neck, head or tongue
• Tight neck muscles
• Difficulty swallowing
• Pain behind shoulder blade
• Shoulder pain, arm pain, tennis elbow or carpal tunnel syndrome
• Weakness, pain, or tingling in arm, forearm and/or hand; weak grip
• Increased sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations, slightly elevated blood pressure or fast heart rate
• Frontal chest pain
• Numbness and tingling of the fingers when awakening
• Anxiety, panic attacks or insomnia

Most of these symptoms are neurological in nature, but a few are purely postural. The simplest explanation is that poor movement or misalignment of the neck irritates the sympathetic or "fight or flight" nervous system. This could be caused by a recent or old car accident, sports injury, fall, or other neck trauma that didn't heal fully or correctly. Long term poor posture can also be a factor.

Our office is focused on finding the causes of these nerve irritations and correcting them through Chiropractic adjustments, exercise, and other hands-on and non-invasive treatments.