Almost everyone has a smartphone today. It is difficult to remember a time when they were not ubiquitous. However, the first popular smartphones are only ten years old. There have been many unintended side effects of the proliferation of cell phones. One of these has been called a text neck. This is a condition that results from excessive text messaging. It causes pain in the neck and muscle weakness.

Top Ways to Alleviate Text Neck Syndrome

Have you been experiencing pain in your neck muscles lately? If so, then you might have a text neck. This is becoming more and more common. People spend many hours texting and are unaware of the effects that it has on their bodies. There are things you can do to relieve some of the pain.

Texting and Your Neck

Why exactly does this condition occur? To answer that question, we need to understand a little bit about the human body. When you do not let your body rest in alignment, it can cause issues. That is what is at the root of this problem.

Poor Alignment:
Most people do not properly align their skeleton when they are texting. The most common way people text is with their heads bent down. This creates an excessive strain on the neck.

Weak Muscle Development:
When you text a lot, it can begin to affect your muscle development. Think of it as a person who is in a wheelchair. If you sat in a wheelchair all the time and never use your legs, it would begin to get difficult to walk. You must use your muscles. Otherwise, they will atrophy away.

Healing Methods for Your Neck

Pay more attention to the posture you use while you are texting people. Texting using good posture can prevent much of the pain you are experiencing. However, if you already have muscle aches, the following advice could help.

Ice:
Ice has been used to help reduce swelling for centuries. Sometimes you will have nerve compression in your neck. Typically, this is because there is excessive inflammation. The musculature inside of your neck becomes inflamed when it is irritated. Texting often can irritate these muscles and make them inflamed.

Heat:
After you ice the neck down, we recommend following up with some heat. The heat helps to relax the tissues. Then, blood is able to flow into the area more easily. This blood carries vital nutrients that are essential for nourishing your body.

Compression:
When you have severe neck pain, a compression sleeve could provide relief. These are kind of like scarves. They wrap around your neck and provide a small amount of pressure. This pressure can help to relieve minor to moderate muscle pain.

Extension:
Finally, the extension is the opposite of compression. For people with severe back pain, chiropractors can put you into a suspension device. This device allows you to safely hang by your head. With your feet off the ground, this provides pressure relief throughout the entire spine.

Taking Better Care of your Neck

You only get one neck. You better take care of it. You do not notice how much your neck is used throughout the day until it has a problem. Texting is fun, but it can have side effects. Remember to be careful and pay attention to your neck. Contact Palmetto ChiroMed for more information.