He Text Neck Syndrome It is an ailment that occurs in the neck when you lean forward for a long time to use the phone, causing pain and stiffness in the neck.
Dr. Luis Ruiz explains that the term Text Neck was originally described by Chiropractor Fishman in 2008, and that it is an injury caused by repetitive stress and sustained pain due to to the reclined position of the neck during excessive use of smartphones, tablets and laptops.
Causes of Text Neck
Dr. Luis Mauricio Ruiz assures that the causes of this syndrome are related to the loss of physiological curvature of the cervical spine.
This is due to the tilt forward and down that we give to the head, causing strong pressure on the spine since the weight that our neck supports increases. In some cases, adults can reach 60 pounds at a 60 degree head tilt.
Our head by holding that position for a long time, The tension that the neck supports increases considerably, and with it the muscular load of the cervical area, which can have consequences for health.
Signs or symptoms presented by a patient with this syndrome
Text Neck Syndrome manifests itself as:
Neck pain associated with tension (71.2%)
Headache (63.3%)
Irritability (54.5%)
Anxiety (50.7%)
What are the consequences that Text Neck Syndrome can bring to our health?
Dr. Ruiz asserts that the Text Neck it affects the patient’s quality of life in both the physical and social and emotional spheres. When the patient keeps fit prolonged bowed neckit could cause physical changes such as: cervical osteoarthritis, affect you socially and become easily irritated and emotionally you can suffer from depression.
How is it treated?
to treat a patient with this syndrome, andl Dr. Ruiz, comments that it must be a joint effort between an Traumatologist and a Physiatrist.
The traumatologist will be the specialist in charge of diagnose the syndrome and rule out other lesions. While the Physiatrist is the one who is qualified to correct the posture that caused this syndrome in the patient.
On the other hand, Dr. Luis Mauricio Ruiz, maintains that treatment is usually based on:
* Postural re-education exercises
*Increased mobility in the spine
* Work on the affected muscles
*Tips to prevent it
The doctor clarifies that we must be very aware that this pathology exists and gives us the following Recommendations to prevent Text Neck:
*Be aware of the body posture that we adopt when using smartphones, tablets or laptops.
*It is advisable to adopt neutral positions. Raise the device to eye level, at an angle of approximately 30º to protect the neck and wrists.
*When using the phone, try to keep your back straight and avoid lowering your head.
*Avoid static postures for a long time
*Take breaks every fifteen minutes after using the mobile phone
*Do neck and shoulder stretching exercises
*Maintain an active lifestyle, exercise and say no to a sedentary lifestyle
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With information from FénixSalud.com
The entrance What is the “Text Neck” Syndrome and what are the health consequences? was first published on newspaper TODAY.
