Everywhere you look, you’ll see people, young or old, looking down at their cell phones. If you find yourself on your phone for extended periods and have noticed a pain in your neck, you may be suffering from text neck.

Common Causes of Text Neck

Text neck is the term used to describe symptoms and damage sustained to the neck from chronically looking down to view tech devices.

These devices typically include cell phones, tablets, readers, or other wireless devices that we view for far too long and often too frequently throughout the day.1

The major health concerns to this newfound, modern ailment are two-fold:

  1. Medical costs are rising due to increasing complaints of this new overuse injury.
  2. Growing children are possibly causing long-term damage to their necks, leading to lifelong, chronic neck pain.1,2

A recent study revealed that 79% of 18- to 44-year-olds keep their cell phones on them nearly all day. In fact, most people spend only around two hours of their waking day without using their cell phones.1

Common Symptoms of Text Neck

Typical signs and symptoms associated with text neck include:1

  • Severe upper back/neck pain
  • Complaints of shoulder pain
  • Neck tightness
  • Inability to move head/neck due to pain
  • Awakening to pain
  • Pain after prolonged periods of looking down

Physical Therapy for Text Neck

If you are experiencing pain in your neck and believe it may be from text neck, a physical therapist will recommend a treatment plan to reduce your neck pain and improve the mobility in your neck.

Your therapist will begin with an initial consultation to test your range of motion, which will help them determine the best treatment set for your unique condition.

Standard treatments for text neck can include postural modifications, exercises and other recommendations that will address your specific condition. Your therapist will also work with you to help prevent future episodes of pain caused by texting.

If you are looking to manage your pain and improve the overall mobility in your neck, contact your local SetPT today to begin speaking with one of our therapists.

References:

  1. http://www.spine-health.com/blog/modern-spine-ailment-text-neck
  2. Chronic Conditions Team. Cleveland Clinic. Text Neck: Is smartphone use causing your neck pain? March 24, 2015.