Text Neck is the problem of bending our heads and neck to look at smart phones and other devices for long periods of time.  Text Neck can cause pain and even permanent damage.  How can we combat the pain and permanent problems that derive from looking down for hours at a time?  It's a daunting and growing problem.  Most of us have experienced neck stiffness at the very least from holding our neck and head in unnatural positions in order to use an electronic device.

Before we look at solutions, let's talk a little bit about what causes Text Neck and what it can do to the neck and spine.  Most electronic devices, particularly smart phones and tablets, cause us to look down for large periods of time.  The NY times says that the human head weighs between 10-12 lbs, but when the neck is bent, it can put an additional 50 lbs of pressure on the neck due to gravitational pull.  That is a huge increase in pressure put on the spine!  Over time, this pressure can actually cause loss of the curve of the spine.  When spine curvature loss happens, the pressure and pull of holding your head up naturally straight can even become a challenge.

Text Neck has other medical concerns as well.  Standing or sitting straight and tall helps keep hormones balanced and increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain.  It stands to reason that spending hours a day with your head bent can do the opposite.

What natural solutions can we take to actually help the pain and medical issues from text neck? 

BE AWARE and make a conscious effort to hold your head straight and shoulders back whenever possible.

HEAT THERAPY on neck and shoulders can relax muscles and increase blood flow and oxygen to brain.

STRETCHING to keep muscles and tendons flexible is vital to combat text neck.

CHIROPRACTIC care straightens the spine when it is out of alignment.

ACUPUNCTURE can help reduce pain and inflammation of neck and shoulders as well as help blood circulation.