Smartphones have now become an integral part of everyday life.
The equivalent of this activity used to be reading books. Most of us however didn’t read books whilst walking, sitting in pubs, at the dinner table, at bus stops, whilst watching television or whilst with our friends and family. The world has gone slightly mad, however we all do it.
Adding in our work commitments of using laptops, desktops, driving and the stressful job demands that weren’t as prevalent 20 years ago and it’s fair to say our bodies are being put under a lot more physical and mental pressure.
We are seeing the results of this lifestyle in our practice with more and more cases of Headaches, Neck pain, Shoulder pain, Arm pain and Back pain.
The reason for this is due to the position of the head and shoulders. Normal position would see the head completely upright and the shoulders in line with the hips. The modern day posture puts our heads forward and down and our shoulders forward reaching for the mouse, keyboard, steering wheel or phone.
This increases the tension on the upper back and the weight of the forward head position massively increases the load on the muscles, joints and discs of the supporting neck. Not only this but the body learns the position giving people a ‘hump’ at the base of the neck.
If this is done regularly and for many hours a day including weekends, these forces physically damage the supporting structures. The body tells us this by giving us aches and pains. If we ignore the pain the muscles weaken and the discs and joints under most strain begin to show degenerative change leading to a variety of long term neck conditions later in life.
All is not lost though.
Being aware of your own head/shoulder position and especially that of your children/family can reduce the potential damage caused. Bring the screen higher and bring the head up. Its the same with laptops and desktops. Ideally top of the screen should be at eye level.
If you or a family member are already suffering symptoms then you’ll be pleased to know it is fixable. We have decades of experience in reversing the abnormal function that comes from this type of injury so if you want to get it treated or just want to know what is wrong give us a call on: 01454 528 608 or email me at: james@optimuscp.com
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