Texting your way to health problems?

They're Everywhere!!!! People of all ages, walking around, with their heads bent forward as if they are staring at their shoelaces, with no regard to where they are walking or what may be walking into them... The world is full of texters. And to be honest, I am one of them! Texting has become the communication avenue of choice. You need to tell someone something quickly, just type it out (and you don't even need to use full words "omg how cul")! It is a great way to get your point across quickly and efficiently ("running late, be there soon"). But the convenience comes with a price! Think about your body posture while you are texting. Head bent down, shoulders rolled forward, lower back pushed out... It is a "walking around slouch." This posture places a large strain on the bones in your neck, your ligaments stretch, your muscles are being pulled, gravity increases pressure on your intervertebral discs, the shoulder muscles are stressed, etc. It's no wonder that texting has been shown to increase neck pain.
A recent study conducted at Temple University and presented at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association demonstrated the connection. 138 University students were observed with sophisticated equipment such as infrared cameras, motion analysis and heart rate monitors. These devices were used to measure body position and discomfort while texting. The study found that students had considerable more neck pain and shoulder pain when texting. (I know, like we needed an expensive study to show that right?) These findings are comparable to the detrimental effects sitting at a desk that is too low, typing all day can do to the human body. Keep in mind, texting is a relatively new thing. It took YEARS for people to realize that they slouching , leaning forward and typing for 8 hours straight without a break could cause wrist, shoulder, neck, and back pain! And think about this, studies show some people (teenagers in particular) are texting 400+ times per day!!!! Do you think that sets them up for spinal/shoulder/wrist/you name it problems down the road?!?!
So people, when you text, pay attention to your posture, don't go on texting binges, stretch those anterior shoulder muscles, work on those posterior neck muscles, and stand up straight! If you need some advice, talk to your doctor!
For more information: http://www.spine-health.com/
http://www.lindemanchiropractic.com/
Yours in Health,
Joel Lindeman DC