What Is Text Neck and How to Treat It

The modern age brings us many things, both positive and negative. Among them are a plethora of screens—laptops, desktops, and especially smartphones. Have you ever had a pain in your neck from looking down at a phone screen to text or surf the internet? You may have a very modern ailment called “text neck“.

What Is Text Neck?

A comparatively new term, like the technology that spawned it, text neck refers to pain or physical damage caused by tilting one’s head to look down at the screen of an electronic device for long periods of time.

The repetitive stress to the upper spine and neck is what causes the pain. The average human head weighs between ten and twelve pounds, but when the neck is tilted down, the effective weight increases to approximately thirty pounds, causing stress and strain to the spine and surrounding musculature. This stress is not limited to your neck. It also transmits through your cervical spine, shoulder muscles, and associated supporting ligaments.

What Are the Symptoms of Text Neck?

Pain and stiffness are the primary symptoms, but not the only ones. These are some of the symptoms to look out for if you suspect that text neck is your issue: 

• Eye pain.
• Fatigue.
• Consistent or constant headaches.
• Deterioration of posture.
• Nausea.
• Muscle soreness.
• Reduced range of motion.
• Sharp pain in that area of your neck.
• Stiffness or tightness in your neck and shoulders.
• Upper back pain.

As the use of mobile devices has exploded, so have incidents of text neck. Teenagers watching TikTok videos on their phones, office workers bent over desktop computer screens, and people of all ages playing video games all contribute to text neck becoming more common.

Can a Chiropractor Fix Text Neck?

The National Library of Medicine notes chiropractic care as non-invasive treatment modalities used to treat persistent neck pain issues such as text neck. Unfortunately, there has been limited research on neck pain, especially when compared to studies on lower back pain.

Can Graston® Treatments Alleviate Text Neck?

Graston Technique® is an instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization therapy used to alleviate chronic pain and improve mobility. This type of manipulation, which is gaining more research support, aligns well with the National Library of Medicine study linked above.

East Bay Chiropractic Wellness – A Holistic Approach

Since 1986, Dr Marmorale has stayed at the cutting edge of chiropractic care, being certified in the Graston Technique® since 2008. Dr Marmorale and our expert team at East Bay Chiropractic create a treatment plan for each patient, custom-tailored to their particular needs and circumstances. Contact us at East Bay Chiropractic today. You deserve a life free from pain!