| Attention Neck Pain sufferers, | | | | you, if you even use twitter, chances are that |
| A brand new enemy is lurking in the streets that | | | | you are also a "texter", and you probably are |
| we live in these days. The houses we sleep in, the | | | | known to spend an hour or three on the |
| schools we go to, the job we work at, and | | | | computer. |
| basically everywhere we go. This enemy is | | | | Chiropractor Dean Fishman, founded the Text |
| getting bigger and badder, meaner and meaner, | | | | Neck Institute, and coined the term "Text Neck". I |
| and it is ultimately ravaging our health on a daily | | | | think this is a great term because it is really |
| basis. | | | | turning into an epidemic. Text neck according to |
| Anyone who has watched Star Trek before | | | | Dr. Fishman is Text Neck is: "a repetitive stress |
| knows exactly about the dreaded Borg. For those | | | | injury to the body from using hand held mobile |
| of you that don't (sorry for showing you my Star | | | | devices such as mobile phones, portable gaming |
| Trek geekiness), this race functions on being | | | | units, MP3 players, e-readers and the like". |
| "wired in" with their fellow Borg at all times. | | | | Dr. Fishman further goes on to elaborate on what |
| They were part of "cells", or were organized in | | | | some of the finding of text message are. Seeing |
| units, and they were organized like drones similar | | | | younger and younger patients with degenerative |
| to bees when they slept in the hive. You would | | | | changes, otherwise known as early arthritis. A |
| have the Queen bee, and the rest of the colony. | | | | reversal of the normal neck curvature, is the |
| The Borgs were similar to this, but they had the | | | | second finding. |
| technology to communicate and "assimilate", or all | | | | With both these changes in the neck, the individual |
| be part of one big giant communicating civilization. | | | | develops a forward head carriage, which then |
| Sorry if that appeared to nerdy for those who | | | | leads to chronic pain. Muscles, ligaments, discs, and |
| never watched star trek, and I apologize to all the | | | | joints all become chronically overstretched, and |
| die hards who believe my explanation was | | | | ultimately, the aforementioned headaches, neck |
| completely off. Either way, that is the way I | | | | pain, upper back pain, carpal tunnel pain, and |
| remember it. | | | | numbness and tingling develop. |
| So what does this have to do with the evil | | | | So what solution(s) do I suggest to combat this |
| enemy that I spoke of, that I believe is taking | | | | evil enemy? |
| over the world as I know it, and surely taking | | | | Well the obvious and easiest choice would be go |
| over the way we communicate with each other? | | | | to a health care specialist who has a lot of |
| Well, with the advance of technology people | | | | experience focusing on a forward head carriage, |
| seem to be connected to the hand held devices | | | | and reversing of the cervical curvature. |
| at all times. Text messaging with each other | | | | Doctors of chiropractic have the market cornered |
| through out the entire day, being on Facebook, | | | | in this area (in my opinion), and can help identify |
| Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and any and all other | | | | mechanical restricted areas, help re-set/re-align |
| communication platform. Its not a far stretch to | | | | the proper structure of the neck, and educate |
| call us the "New Borg." | | | | the patient to avoid this harmful position in the |
| We have seen the enemy, and he is us. | | | | first place. |
| Its true, this evil enemy that exist is ourselves, | | | | However, that said, I always say that even if you |
| and our insatiable appetite for being in constant | | | | go to your chiropractor, it is but a mere drop in |
| communication with each other. We text | | | | the bucket to the remainder of the day, the time |
| message our friends, we email each other, we | | | | your neck remains in forward head position based |
| Facebook each other, we add a tweet to our | | | | on all the postural stressors you experience. |
| Twitter account, blogging, etc. Nowadays, all of | | | | Simply put, your neck is trained to be in the |
| this can be accomplished on our phones, from the | | | | Forward Head Position (FHP). |
| palms of our hands. | | | | With this posture, you have what is indicative of a |
| Geez, what did we do before we had these | | | | FHP, and is also known as an "upper crossed |
| capabilities, before these hand held devices, surely | | | | syndrome". With the upper crossed syndrome, |
| we were living in the dark ages? | | | | the deep neck flexors in the front, and the |
| So how is this our enemy? | | | | rhomboids of the back, become chronic weak. |
| Well, given that more and more young people are | | | | Additionally, the front pectorals, and the rear |
| constantly connected, unfortunately, the position | | | | upper trapezius muscles become tight. Combined |
| the mere act of communicating puts our neck | | | | together, the neck gets the "TEXT NECK" that |
| and spines in, through-out the entire day, is really | | | | Dr. Fishman coined. |
| wrecking havoc on our bodies. | | | | The other solution is to learn the exercises that |
| Neck pain, shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, | | | | will strengthen the weakened, neck flexors and |
| headaches, tingling into the upper extremity, all | | | | rhomboids, and learn the exercises that will |
| are conditions that are becoming more and more | | | | restore the tightened pectorals and upper |
| prevalent with the young, much more frequently. | | | | trapezius muscles. |
| Heck, I even read on twitter with keyword | | | | Being aware of your posture when texting, sitting, |
| updates that allows you to see what people are | | | | working, driving, relaxing, reading, and everything |
| texting with the keyword that you select (neck | | | | else we do in our lives will ultimately become |
| pain). | | | | automatic, and I guess, will be the super hero to |
| In their tweets, most younger folks say how bad | | | | eliminate the enemy. |
| their neck pain is, how they just woke up in pain, | | | | Till next time, watching your back and neck. |
| and have no idea what they did. Well I can tell | | | | |