There has been lots of talk in recent years about a new condition that’s become known as “Text Neck”. Mobile phones have been around for over 3 decades and many adults cannot imagine a life without one.

Having been in the chiropractic world since the late 90’s, we’ve witnessed a whole new group of problems related to the use of technology.

“Text neck” relates to the stooped posture we’re starting to associate with so many young people from teens through to twenty and thirty somethings, it’s also becoming “the norm”. So what does it look like and why is it a problem?

Firstly, if you check out the photo it’s not a big jump to see that the muscles of the upper back and neck are stretched by this posture and have to do a lot more work. Our spines function best when our head sits upon the shoulders, then the weight of the head is supported by the spinal curves. When you head is forward, all these muscles have to work so much harder - which can lead to neck and upper back pain, as many people know from experience, when they’ve spent too much time on their phone or using technology.

But why might this have an impact on your low back too? Take a look at the posture photo. The young mans head is 25 degrees forward - known as forward head posture. Our heads actually weigh 4.5 to 5.0 kg. If it moves forward as little as 3cm from the midline, that doubles the weight of your head.

Think how that affects the muscles in the upper back and neck, but also your centre of gravity can shift, putting unnecessary strain on all the spinal muscles, hip stabilisers and legs.

And something that for me at least is a more recent phenomena is that not only are we seeing Forward Head Posture, more and more people are also leaning forwards. By that, if you draw a vertical line from the mid-point of the ankle directly vertical, many people are also leaning forwards. You can see this in the young woman, whereas the photo of the man was taken about 15 years ago, and was more characteristic of postural changes in the first decade or so of technology, now we are seeing more and more people leaning forwards as well.

Some people have the will power and time to work out at the gym, and some postural improvements are definitely possible. However, this is often not an option if you have neck or back pain, or injuries that make working out painful or simply impossible.

If you’re concerned about your posture or the posture of someone you care for, chiropractic can often make a big difference to posture.

With chiropractic, I’m constantly delighted by how much can change and the impact it can have on symptoms, posture and overall wellbeing.

Call now to make an appointment on 01625 402053 or email info@naturallyempowered.co.uk