A typical average adult head weighs about 10 to 12 pounds. But did you know that bending forward at a 45 degree angle to view your phone or tablet can significantly increase your chances of getting a “tech neck”?
“It's like holding an 8-pound bowling ball on your head. Then you have 72 pounds on your elbows and 96 pounds on your shoulders,” says Mayo Clinic Health, La Crosse, Wisconsin. says system industrial and ergonomics expert Brian Langenhorst. “We're probably seeing technology bottlenecks in businesses, schools, and industry on a weekly basis.”
Tech neck is chronic neck and shoulder pain, pain, and stiffness caused by poor posture when using technology such as phones and computers. Looking down at electronic devices can cause your neck muscles to tense and your shoulders to slump forward.
“People will notice musculoskeletal fatigue,” Langenhorst explains. “They may notice that the nerve supply can become compressed, causing referred pain, or the nerve supply within the neck can become compressed, causing referred pain in the arm or hand.”
Over time, this posture can deform the muscles in your shoulders, chest, and neck and put pressure on your spine.
“You might use your computer for 8 to 10 hours at work. Then you go home and use your computer or cell phone for 2 to 4 hours. This can be very tiring on your neck and body. ” says Langenhorst.
“With mobile phones, you need to hold your phone close to maintain visual comfort,” adds Langenhorst. “What I often find is that a lot of people don't move enough. They stay in a static position for a very long time.”
On average, people spend 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phones every day. Individuals check their phones an average of 58 times each day. Almost half of Americans (46%) believe they spend an average of four to five hours on their smartphones each day. A 2020 study found that Americans spend nearly nine years of their lives using their cell phones.
“Static positioning actually takes more work and effort than dynamic movement,” says Langenhorst. “Your body asks you whether you want visual comfort or postural comfort. The important thing here is that vision always wins because you change your posture to match your vision.”
High-tech necks can also cause problems beyond the neck and shoulders. Extra pressure on the vertebrae in your neck can cause back pain, headaches, and herniated discs (slipping or bulging discs). Changes in the neck muscles and poor posture can also put strain on the temporomandibular joints and muscles, causing temporomandibular joint pain.
“Think about your kids. Think about when they're at home. They're at home using a tablet, desktop, or cell phone for homework. Children's posture. Take a look and see what kind of posture they have. Do the kids have pretty good posture? If they do, then they're probably doing all kinds of silly things. You have a posture,” Langenhorst says. “While you're a little younger and more invincible, you'll probably be fine. But soon, even in your early 20s, you'll start to experience muscle fatigue and notice more strains and sprains.” Do consistent stretches and movements. ”
One tip Langenhorst recommends is to place a pillow on your lap and use it to support your forearms. He also suggests holding your phone in a more upright, angled position.
“It's not great, but it's better than no support,” Langenhorst said. “As you get older, the discs in your spine narrow and start to lose some of the softness that they have, which can put a little bit of pressure on the nerve roots that come out at the level of your neck. As you get older As people age over 45, the disc space narrows and can put pressure on the nerves in the neck, causing pain and disability.
Tips to improve technology bottlenecks
Other ways to improve your computer posture include:
• Place the screen 20 to 30 inches (about arm's length) away from your eyes.
• Use a computer monitor or laptop stand to raise the screen to a suitable height (or stack books).
• Sit with your head, hips, and spine stacked together. “Our line of sight is 15 degrees, so my eye level has to be about 1/2 inch to 1.5 inches higher than the screen. When I look straight ahead, my neck muscles, back muscles, The muscles in the upper shoulder become tense. This prevents uneven pressure on nerve supplies and muscle groups,” adds Langenhorst.
• Keep your wrists straight and your elbows bent at about a 90-degree angle.
• Keep your knees in line with your hips and your feet flat on the floor.
“The biggest challenge is that we're not working or having a neutral or straight posture. I keep my head in an upright position, my ears on my shoulders, my shoulders on I want it on my lower back,” he says.
Neck pain is the fourth most common cause of disability, with an annual prevalence of more than 30%. Most acute neck pain resolves with or without treatment, but nearly 50% of people will continue to experience some pain or frequent pain.
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