For a few years now, the term ‘Text Neck’ (or Tech Neck) has been used to describe the neck pain, muscle tightness and restricted movement that come from using technology in a way that is not good for our posture. As the use of devices becomes more and more ingrained in everyday use, our bodies are feeling the strain of hours in un-ergonomic positions. While we have all been shown how to set up a desk for work at a desk top computer, most of us have never been shown how to use a smaller device in a way that will reduce strain on our bodies.

Symptoms of Text Neck
Our spines are designed in a way that distributes load and forces like gravity through our bodies and allows us to absorb them. Any major changes to our posture can create area of additional load through our spine, causing joint restriction and muscle tightness as our bodies struggle to absorb the load. With text neck, these areas of additional load are often at the top of our spine (the base of our skull) and/or across of our shoulders (where the neck meets the top of the ribcage).
While not an official diagnosis, text neck can include several key components, stemming from the uncomfortable way we hold our bodies while using technology, usually with our head bowed down and shoulders dropped forward.

The symptoms of text neck can include:
Common:

• neck pain
• stiffness and restriction in the neck (trouble turning your head from side to side or looking up and down)
• headaches
• tightness across shoulders

Longer term:

• Forward head posture and rounded shoulders
• Balance issues (from aberrant proprioceptive feedback from neck)
• Jaw pain (often from restrictions in upper neck vertebra)
• Bony changes in neck and head (including spinal degeneration)
• Nerve root irritation in the neck, causing nerve symptoms down the arms (persistent pins and needles, numbness and/or weakness)

How to help text neck
To help improve your posture while on devices and help to prevent text neck, there are many ways to help, depending which device you are using.
Smartphones: Try to bring the phone up in front of your face, rather than taking your face down to the phone. It can be difficult to keep your arms up in this position for long, so try this trick to help: Bring one hand across your chest, place your elbow in your opposite hand and voila, your phone is in front of your face. This is a great position of scrolling, a little tricky for texting, but give it a go! Also think about a phone grip, so you don’t have to hold the phone so tight.

​In late January, millions of Australian children get ready to go back to school. With kids usually spending nearly 200 days at school each year, it is important they are mindful of their health when in school, especially their spine.
 
The Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) have developed a ‘Back to School Health Checklist’ to remind both children and their parents of the healthy habits that they should be practising all year round. We here at Ballarat and District Chiropractic Centre are encouraging people to collect the checklist so they can not only tick off their school supplies list but their health one as well.
 
This checklist is a great way to remind kids of the importance of building healthy habits at school. They are simple to incorporate and easily fit into a child’s everyday routine. For instance, packing a healthy lunch, getting 60 minutes of daily physical activity and wearing the backpack correctly.
 
The Health Checklist also reminds kids to reduce their recreational screen time, be mindful of their posture in the classroom and consider chiropractic care.
 
We are asking parents if they are concerned about their child’s spine or would like advice on any other back to school related issues, like sizing the backpack or how to sit at desks to consider our chiropractic services.
 
This comes as the ACA launch their annual Back to School campaign, which seeks to educate Aussie kids of the importance of maintaining their spinal health and wellbeing throughout the year, but especially in school.
 
Kids aren’t often aware of the impact that common activities like sitting in a classroom, carrying a heavy bag and excessive screen time, can have on their overall health and wellbeing.
 
Chiropractors are well placed to assess and manage disorders of the musculoskeletal system and offer solutions and advice regarding your existing spinal health issues or how to improve overall health and wellbeing.