How to protect your health from ‘text neck’ syndrome

When working in front of a computer, many people sit with their entire bodies leaning forward, their heads stretched and their necks contracted. A similar stance is adopted by people who love to keep up with others’ social media updates from their cell phones. Doctors and scientists began to warn that the result of this craze is a heavy load on the neck, and created concepts such as the ‘computer neck’ (computer neck) and ‘text neck’ (text neck’).

O awesome.club discovered what computer and text neck syndrome is and how to avoid its consequences for our health. Read carefully and take the opportunity to put some ideas into practice.

Now, for example: how about straightening that neck?

When a person gets used to leaning the body forward, towards the computer, laptop or cell phone to better see what is written and forgets to return the body to its normal physiological position, the neck syndrome is formed. computer. The syndrome is characterized by a weakening of the muscles of the mid-back and neck, putting pressure on the upper back muscles, shoulders and chest muscles. It greatly affects our posture; shoulders, neck and head are pushed forward and the deformed spine is bent. In addition, the skin of the neck becomes flaccid and a larger crop may appear.

You can get rid of the syndrome without much difficulty, but it is important to pay attention to some symptoms.

Neck pain and stiffening of muscles Pain in upper back and shoulders Increase in headaches and back of neck Vision problems Feeling as if the neck is going forward Desire to straighten the back and discomfort when trying to do so.

Kenneth Hansraj, a spine doctor in New York, is studying this syndrome. He believes that the problem has acquired an epidemic character. The weight of an adult head is about 4 to 5 kg. As the person bends the head forward, the load on the spine increases. According to research carried out by him, when the head is tilted at 15 degrees, the load on the spine is approximately 12 kilos; when it is inclined at 30 degrees, it reaches 18 kilos; at 45 degrees we have 22 kilos of cargo; and at 60 degrees, the load reaches an unbelievable 27 kilos (about the weight of an 8 year old).

That is, when you tilt your head at 60 degrees to post a photo on Instagram, in practice, you are almost carrying a child on your back. This load can cause a lot of pain and cervical wear.

To avoid health problems, you need to properly organize your workspace.

The computer monitor should not be too low, but in line with the eyes. Make the text always larger so you don’t have to tilt your body towards the screen. Sit so your back is at a 100 to 135 degree angle to your legs to ease your back. Shoulders and neck should be relaxed; so place the keyboard at a suitable height. Place the chair at a good height, to also relieve legs and knees. Place your feet next to each other; that is, do not cross your legs.

To prevent this syndrome, it is necessary to perform some exercises every day and avoid sitting in front of the computer for a long time. It’s important to take breaks, take a walk or at least get up to stretch your legs.

To prevent further problems, it is still worth doing the following exercises.

Circular rotation of the head: five times to each side. Push your head back as if trying to touch your back. Then return to the starting position and lower your chin towards your chest. Repeat the process five times. Carefully rotate your neck to the right as far as you can. Stay still in this position and then do the same for the other side. Do five to 10 repetitions. Tilt your head towards your shoulder trying to touch it with your cheek (don’t lift your shoulder). Feel how the neck muscles stretch. Hold the position for 30 seconds. Then do the same for the other side. Do a few repetitions, always respecting your limit. Do simple exercises to warm up your arms and back, like jumping jacks, or just raise and lower your arms. Do eye exercises. You might think that the eyes and neck are unrelated, but eye strain can make your back become more and more curved. Every 30 minutes of work, give your eyes a little rest from the computer. Two to three times a week, perform an exercise to strengthen your back and neck muscles.

Do you work a lot in front of the computer? Have you ever felt back pain from this?