Do you consider your smartphone a boon or bane for your health? With countless benefits to its name, smartphones and handheld electronic devices, at the same time, host a lot many health risks as well. And of the many, the most common is the text neck, a relatively new medical term coined by one US chiropractor, refers to the pain and damage of the neck and spine due to constant drooping of the neck.An average human head weighs around 5.4 kilograms (around 12 pounds) under normal conditions. However, when you look down at your phone for too long, the effective weight applied on your spine increases significantly. This relation is also proportional to the time that you spend with your head bent forward.
Poor posture can have detrimental effects on the body, some of which are:-
Degenerative disc disease
-Kyphosis (forward curvature of the thoracic spine)
-Decreased libido-Tension headache
-Cardiovascular irregularities (related to vagus nerve irritation).
Here are a few tips for you that shall help to prevent text neck:
1 . Maintain a good posture : While sitting in front of your computer, make sure you keep your neck, shoulders and back straight and legs rested on the floor. Position yourself comfortably on the chair. Hold your cell phone at your eye-level and the same goes for laptops and tablets too. Avoid stressful positions that may cause strain on your joints and muscles
2 . Choose a comfortable chair : Make sure you do not compromise with your chair. Do not bend your head forward or look down to view the screen. Avoid looking down with your head bent forward for an extended time span throughout the work hours.
3 . Take short and regular breaks: It is recommended to take short breaks not only while you are working but also while you are glued to any gadget. Take short breaks frequently.
4 . Pick a book to read : Limit use of digital devices by proportionally allocating time to reading a book. Even when you socialize, make sure you interact with your friends that clinging onto your phone. Encourage your friends to pile the phones in the middle of the table during the meet and whoever touches or grabs their phone has to pay for a treat. Pledge to take a ‘tech time-out’
5 . Stay Active : Go for a walk or do some stretching exercises to relax your neck and shoulder muscles to keep your spine and body healthy and weight under check. Practice some weight training exercises to strengthen your core and back muscles. You are free to choose yoga, meditation or pilates as well.
6 . Eat healthy : Limit sugary snacks and caffeine to get instant relief from the pain. Instead include high fiber, anti- inflammatory foods like nuts, green vegetables, and oatmeal. Sip on green tea and tender coconut water to ease your posture pain. Also, add bone-strengthening foods to your daily diet to improve bone health.So, next time you are tempted to grab your smartphone or electronic gadget, make sure you remind yourself about the ill effects of its excessive usage.
Stay Healthy and Stay Happy!!!!!!!