Neck and 7 Incredible Methods to Correct It

Neck and 7 Incredible Methods to Correct It

Neck or Tech Neck is the new buzzword going around because of the technology we are enjoying today. With the continuous advancement of technology, people spend most of their time in front of the computer, laptop, tablets, mobile phones, or any gadgets available. Hence, resulting in the neck’s pain called  Neck or forward head posture. 

When we use our gadgets, specifically our cellphones, we tend to lean forward and stay in that position for a prolonged period. When we do that, our head weighs heavier leading to neck pain. 

Symptoms of Neck

Are you experiencing pain in your neck? It’s probably due to the excessive usage of your phone. When you use your phone for long hours texting, reading some articles, or playing video games, chances are you are stressing your neck, leading to injury. And it is the reason behind the pain in your neck and even your shoulders and arms. 

You know that you have text neck if you feel the following:

• Neck pain, shoulder pain, and soreness
• Muscle spasm in the upper back
• Headache
• Pinched nerve
• Reduced mobility
• Poor Posture
• Numbness on the fingers and hands, or if it gets severe, the fingers and hands have no strength

If your work requires you to stay in front of the computer or your phone, chiropractic treatment helps alleviate the aches and discomforts you are suffering. 

How to Correct  Neck

Is the nagging pain and discomfort of Neck disturbs you and prevents you from doing your task appropriately and effectively? 

Forward head posture is due to the modern technology that we have today, such as playing video games or spending a lot of time on the phone without caring about the neck position. 

Our head weighs 10 to 12 pounds if we hold our phone at eye level. However, as we lean forward while texting or checking something on the phone, our head becomes heavier, leading to the neck’s pain known as Neck.

Prevent this situation from happening in the future by doing the following tips.

1. Stand Up and Sit Down Straight

Your position when sitting down or standing up plays a significant role in preventing  Neck from happening. Being aware of your proper posture is vital when you need to stand or sit while doing a task. 

Tips on proper standing.

• Carry your weight at your feet’ balls.
• Slightly bend your knees.
• Stand on your feet shoulder-width apart and pull your shoulders back when you stand.
• For prolonged standing, shift your weight from one foot to the other. 

How to sit correctly?

• When you sit, lay your feet on the floor; however, if your feet can’t reach the floor, use a footrest.
• Avoid crossing your legs when sitting down and maintain your knees and ankles at a 90 degrees angle. 
• Support your lower and middle back. Back support helps hold up your back.
• Make sure that your shoulders are at rest.

2. Design an Ergonomic Workstation

When you have to use a computer, laptop, or phone during your work hours, make sure that the device is at your eye level to avoid leaning forward when you have to read something from the gadgets. Allow your arms and elbows to be in a relaxed position, mainly if you have to type on the keyboard or use the mouse. 

Having an ergonomic workstation minimizes the possibility of encountering a Neck that may hinder you from being productive throughout the day.

3. Understand the Proper Posture and Apply it 

Educate yourself on the proper posture when standing or sitting down to avoid Neck. However, learning about the proper posture is not enough. Understanding and applying it is vital to keep yourself away from hurting your neck. Furthermore, you should be aware of your posture and avoid leaning forward or slouching when you need to sit or stand while working.

In addition, make sure that your spine is straight while working in front of the computer, and if you need to rest your back, avoid slumping. 

4. Be Conscious of Your Work’s Intensity

Keeping an eye on your posture while working is necessary to avoid harming your neck and lead to a Neck. When we are working, we are engrossed with our task and forget that our body is not in the correct position. We concentrate a lot on our job, especially if a deadline or the task is exciting and enticing that we don’t want to stop until we are done. 

5. Take a Break

No matter how busy you are with your task, you have to take a break in between and look away from the device to refresh your eyes and your body. Stand up and stretch, or take a walk for a while to stretch your muscles. 

If, for example, you can’t afford to take a walk, try to find something that will divert your attention to keep your eyes away from the computer for a while. And if you always forget to take a break, set the alarm every 20 minutes or every time you finish a task. Rest for a while, look around your workplace before continuing your work or starting a new task.

6. Exercise Regularly

Another effective method to prevent Neck is to exercise regularly. Find a sport that you can partake in during your day off because it helps in strengthening the back and the neck. And people with a flexible and robust neck and back can handle stress which can prevent encountering a Neck problem. 

Exercises for Neck

People complain about the discomfort and aches they feel in their necks after working in front of their computers, laptop, and phones. 

Besides chiropractic treatment, chiropractors approve some practical exercises in fixing the nagging text neck that you can do between your breaks during office hours. 

• Bow Pose. When you do the bow pose, it assists in restraining the shoulders from slumping.
• Padahastasana. Padahastasana extends the hamstrings and the neck, which helps fight the text neck and hip due to prolonged sitting.
• Chin Tuck. Chin tuck is an easy stretch that you can do in between your work. This exercise aims to strengthen the awareness of the spine while making the neck muscles strong and assist in pulling back the head into alignment. 
• Downward-Facing Dog. Too much use of gadgets makes the shoulder and anterior chest wall rounded and tightened; therefore, the downward-facing dog exercise helps to open these parts of your body. 
• Cat-Cow. The cat-cow stretch strengthens spinal awareness, which is a significant contributor to poor posture.
• Exaggerated Nod. The exaggerated nod rectifies the forward or downward position of the head and enhances mobility when you pull your shoulders down and back. 

7. Chiropractic Treatment

Neck may be new to your ears though you’ve been using different kinds of gadgets for a long time. And you probably think that it’s just a regular pain in the neck when you are tired after playing, texting, or working with your gadgets. However, chiropractors are very familiar with this term, and they can help you reduce the pain in your neck through chiropractic adjustment. 

Chiropractic is also known as Spinal Manipulation, meaning a chiropractor makes some adjustments to your spine to reduce any pain you are feeling due to misalignments. Besides spinal adjustment, a chiropractor may suggest that you do some exercises and stretching to alleviate your discomfort. 

What to Expect Before Chiropractic Treatment

Visit a chiropractor to learn how to reduce the pain in your neck. The chiropractor will inform you of all the necessary things you have to do to prevent this situation from getting worse in the future. 

Before your chiropractic treatment, your chiropractor advises you the following:

• Prevent yourself from leaning your neck frequently.
• Improve your posture while working in front of the laptop or using your phone. 
• Have massage therapy or spinal manipulation during your chiropractic treatment session. 

Applying everything your chiropractor advises you to do at home will assist in your Text Neck recovery. 

The Bottom Line

When you always procrastinate about your Neck and do not address it right away, it will lead to a severe injury that will inhibit you from working efficiently and productively.

Doing some stretching for body awareness and posture is an outstanding option to counterbalance the Neck because of poor posture. Talk to a health practitioner and ask advice to know what to do for your neck pain.