25 Nov Smartphones and Text Neck
‘Text neck’ refers to the condition that results from poor posture due to excessive time spent on our smartphones. Your head weighs about 12 pounds. The neck bends down and forward to look at the screen and the weight on the cervical spine increases. This posture is not good for your neck and back and can cause muscle strain, degeneration and chronic pain.
Text Neck Symptoms
A variety of symptoms can be caused by this overuse injury. These may include neck pain, upper back pain, shoulder pain, and headaches.
Treatment of Text Neck
To prevent text neck and the resultant pain –
- Improve your posture
- Avoid bending your neck forward
- Raise your phone to more eye level
- Do not spend a long time on your phone. Take a break to allow your neck muscles to rest.
If you neck pain doesn’t get relieved with these measures, consult your pain management doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment. Pain management specialists specialize in treating acute and chronic pain. They utilize non- and minimally invasive treatment option to treat pain. These treatments may include –
- NSAIDs (Anti-inflammatory medication)
- Injections
- Nerve blocks
- Radiofrequency Ablation
- Physical therapy, and more.
Most of these treatments are done on an outpatient basis and od not require a long downtime. You do not need many days in the hospital or a long recovery period. You can go home and resume your daily routine soon after your treatment.
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