One of the most prevalent health implications of new age technology use is neck, shoulder and upper back pain. Many individuals fail to address the root cause of this common yet excruciating pain. Chronic neck, shoulder and upper back pain have a negative impact on quality of life worldwide.
“Text neck” is a term coined by US chiropractor Dr Dean L. Fishman to describe the symptoms associated with overuse of electronic devices. It usually occurs when you have your head hung forward and down looking at your mobile for long periods of time. This results in overload and repetitive stress on the muscles and joints in the cervical spine often leading to headaches, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and in severe cases, it may even lead to numbness in the arms.
Do you sit continuously for too many hours with a hunched posture while driving, working on laptop, or while using mobile phones and other electronic gadgets? These are the kind of activities that often trigger muscle strain.
Tech neck or Text Neck is an overuse injury, wherein the pain typically builds up slowly over time and this prevents us from identifying the root cause of pain.
The pain usually starts with the neck which may initially be diffuse in nature. The stiff neck or soreness could start descending downward to the upper back which worsens gradually over a period of time. Due to this pain and stiffness, you may experience associated symptoms like dizziness, repetitive headache or light headedness.
Here are a few tips on how your daily posture can be improved to avoid this chronic pain:
• Limit time spent on electronic devices
• Keep your phone or laptop at eye level while using.
• Be aware of your posture while sitting for long hours.
• Perform stretching exercises regularly to relieve the strain on neck and back muscles.
• Remember to take breaks to walk and stretch from working on laptop for long durations.
• If pain persists, visit a physiotherapist, regardless of whether or not you think it may be a tech neck.
How does physiotherapy help in relieving your pain and improve quality of life?
A qualified physiotherapist will perform a thorough examination of you neck and upper back areas that are inflexible and develop a treatment plan to meet your specific needs. Physiotherapy at MOKSHAA is well equipped with advanced electrical modalities like LASER, SHOCKWAVE, ULTRASOUND, IFT, TENS and more which help in relieving pain. Furthermore, Myofascial release therapy (MFR), Range of Motion, stretching and strengthening exercises guided by our expert physiotherapists will help in enhancing mobility and function, thus providing a long-term cure for the concerned problem.
Book your appointment with MOKSHAA for outstanding care, long term pain management and posture correction.
