'Text Neck': How Technology became a Pain in the Neck

It is a familiar sight these days. People hunched over their smartphones or tablets as they tap and swipe away for hours. And such posture, as research shows, increases the stress on the neck. The human head typically weighs about 12 pounds. But as the neck bends forward and down, the weight of the cervical spine begins to increase. At a 15-degree angle, the head’s weight is about 27 pounds, 40 pounds at 30 degrees, 49 pounds at 45 degrees, and 60 pounds at 60 degrees

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This poor posture is alarmingly becoming common among young people. In fact, children as young as seven are reporting headaches, neck pain, shoulder and arm pain, compromised breathing, and the development of hunchbacks and curved spines, all of which are the result of what the medical community calls the “text neck” syndrome. If left untreated, text neck can result in serious permanent damage, including early onset arthritis, spinal degeneration, nerve damage, disc herniation, and gastrointestinal problems.

Although text neck or forward head posture is not a new condition, the boom of mobile technology plus an increasingly sedentary lifestyle among the general population are contributing to more reported cases. It is therefore important that people become aware of the ill effects of long hours of the use of smartphones and other mobile gadgets on their health.

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Dr. Melanie Novak, M.D. employs a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of chronic pain. This includes the use of injection treatments and medications and physical and behavioral therapy. Learn more about Dr. Novak’s expertise here.