Chiropractic Care in San Francisco And Text Neck

How many hours a day do you spend with your neck hunched forward as you read on a device? Whether it's your computer, tablet, or cell phone, this position gives San Francisco chiropractors nightmares. It may not seem like a major issue, especially if it doesn't hurt while you're doing it. However, over time, holding your body in this position can cause what many people now refer to as text neck.

What Text Neck Is And How It Affects Your Spinal Health

Text neck affects your neck, shoulders, and upper back. In the past, text neck has also been known as nerd neck. The results are tight upper back muscles, an uncomfortable rounding of the shoulders, and an imbalance that becomes standard for how you hold your posture.

If you spend two hours a day looking down at a device in your lap, that's 730 hours a year. Many people spend more than twice that, and for young people, the numbers are even higher. With a habit like this started at a young age, that's a lifelong habit of spending many hours every day with the head hunched forward.

This position is hardly new to the human body, but it's still not a natural one for it to stay in for so much of the day.

One of the first negative side effects of holding this position is usually neck pain or headaches. Stretching the spine at this angle for prolonged periods can also cause herniated discs, pinched nerves, and spinal misalignment.

Holding this poor posture can become a habit. You'll notice people walking around with their heads hunched forward all day long, seeming to have a rounding to their upper backs. This is from holding that posture so often.

The earlier text neck is caught, the better. It's easier to work on holding a healthier posture and avoiding the long term effects of text neck the earlier you make positive changes.

How Chiropractors Can Help You Fight Text Neck

Chiropractors can help you keep a healthy spine and fight text neck. They do this in a few ways.

Your San Francisco chiropractor has experience with seeing all stages of this curvature of the spine. After an exam, they can offer you detailed tips personalized to your life that you can use to make sure your spine stays healthy, your head supported, and your neck straight. They'll talk to you about ways to use your devices while holding a steady posture and exercises you can do for proper spinal health.

During your appointment, they will also look at any problems that have begun due to text neck. If you were experiencing pain, it may be from a misalignment of the vertebrae in your neck. This can lead to compression on the nerves, which can travel to create pain throughout the body. Your chiropractor can perform gentle adjustments to correct your alignment to its natural position.

While this kind of misalignment is nothing new, it is definitely a growing problem in the modern world. That doesn't mean you have to give up your devices. It does mean you should stay mindful of your spinal health, so you can stay healthy and maintain good posture. Your chiropractor will be there to help guide you along the way and offer treatments to help you along the way.