Tampa General Hospital

Talk about a pain in the neck. For hours every day, we stare down at our cell phones, texting, reading incoming messages, Googling, gawking at videos. Do it long enough, and we can fall prey to the social media syndrome known as text neck. Long-term forward neck posture — such as the 60-degree angle of looking down at a cell phone — can lead to muscle strain, compressed discs and pinched nerves. The persistent use of hand-held devices may lead to more widespread problems, says Ellen Eckelman, DPT, an outpatient physical therapist with Tampa General Hospital. "Most everyone on a cell phone is going to have some forward head posture," she says. "And this can lead to more long-standing issues than we're seeing now.'' A 2014 study in the journal Surgical Technology International said the force to the seven vertebrae in the neck region increases dramatically when the neck is tilted. A head in the neutral position handles between 10 to 12 pounds of pressure. At a 15-degree angle the pressure increases to the equivalent of 27 pounds. Text neck also might exacerbate pre-existing conditions for some people, Eckelman says. "For instance, a person who might have a difficult time would be someone who has trouble swallowing,'' she says, noting how a 60-degree forward angle would partially close the throat. So, how do you avoid text neck? Experts recommend a few common sense rules: Hold your cell phone at eye level or close to it. Set a daily reminder on your phone to take frequent breaks. Do core body strength exercises to stay flexible, and arch your neck and upper back to relieve tension and stress. Try to limit activity that keeps your head locked in a forward position. Several phone apps are available to discourage text neck. They monitor the angle of the phone and alert you to make an adjustment. TEXTING TOO MUCH? Thumbs Down Many times a day — so many you can't keep track — your thumb flies over the screen of your smartphone, tapping out text messages. All that furious typing, however, could have consequences for your health. Pain, cramping and other symptoms — known collectively as texting thumb — may happen when overusing the thumb for digital communication inflames its tendons. Excessive strain on the thumbs can also lead to arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome, even in young people. Here's how to give your workhorse digit a break: • Go hands-free. Let your phone's voice-to-text feature do the work. • Give it a rest. Try unplugging for a while to let your thumb heal. Use ice to treat pain and swelling. • Put the phone down. Typing while not holding the phone places less strain on the thumb. • Switch things up. Use the thumb on your other hand or your other fingers to type. Looking Down at Cell Phones TEXT NECK Can Lead to TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TEXT NECK, READ THE REST OF THE STORY AT 4HEALTHIER.ME/ TGH-TEXT-NECK. 30 DEGREE-ANGLE 40 POUNDS OF PRESSURE 14 tgh.org / summer 2017

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