Dr. Ashley Wilcoxson
Tech Neck: A New Epidemic
75% of the world’s population spends varying amounts of time reading from small electronic screens? We’ve all used them; tablets, phones, eBooks and the list goes on. When using them, we often tilt our necks in an unsupported position. Using these devices heavily throughout the day, strains the necks into unnatural and unsupported positions for long periods of time, causing stress to the body. Even using these unsupported electronic devices for 20 hours a week increases your risk for developing cervical spine musculoskeletal disorders!
“Text Neck” refers to the impact that occurs on the spine and neck from the use of the unsupported devices. Text neck is becoming an epidemic on the health of our society especially our youth.
In an age where technology is growing and allows us to hold the world at our fingertips, it can be easy to become engrossed or addicted. It can be useful, fun, and exciting to be able to hold small versions of the world at our fingertips. But it’s also important to put it down and look at the world around us. Our necks, spine, and overall body will thank us!