In an increasingly connected world, we are using your electronic devices more and more. New research shows that along with the pressure to keep up on social media, massive consumption of news and entertainment on our devices, and communicating with work, friends, and family via messaging, we are spending more of our life is staring down at a screen. The result is an increased incidence of chronic neck and back pain.
Is Tech Causing Your Back Pain?
The study, performed by the British Chiropractic Association finds that tech the underlying cause of many new cases of chronic neck and back pain, but also that we are unlikely to change our usage habits due to feeling pain and discomfort.
Despite the fact that 56 percent of participants complained of experiencing back and neck pain related to use of their digital device, only 27 percent would agree to limit or stop using their devices.
Younger Chronic Back Pain Sufferers
Another revelation was that there were more cases of younger people experiencing ongoing or chronic discomfort than was expected.
- One in seven 16 – 24-year-olds reported experiencing back or neck pain when they used their smartphones
- Over half of the 25 – 34-year-olds polled admitted they suffered after using a laptop
These results are startling, indicating that many people will risk their health and well-being to keep connected to technology. So, what can be done for this type of neck and back pain?
Head Forward Posture
There are many ways to decrease back pain. Observing good posture is one key element. The head forward posture that has become so common when interacting with our handhelds is the worst aggravator for back pain and can cause nerve damage as well, over time. For every inch you lean forward from the neutral neck position, you increase the weight pressure on your spine by ten pounds. For most of us, this means we are regularly putting an extra 30 pounds of pressure on our neck and upper back tissues.
Exercises to Relieve Back and Neck Stress
Proper head and neck positioning are critical to improving your posture and decreasing your pain.
Posture Tips:
- Keep your shoulders back.
- You should feel a slight tension in your chest muscles when your shoulders are pulled back to the appropriate position.
- Your chin should always be at a 90-degree angle from your chest. This will correct the forward head posture mentioned previously.
- Remember that it is ok to lift your device up so that your head and neck remain in a neutral posture.
- Avoid sitting on the floor when using your devices as this causes pronounced curvature of the spine.
Yoga and stretching are fantastic for elongating the muscles and spine. This will relieve back pain and improve your posture at the same time. There are several classic yoga poses known to improve back and neck pain. These include:
- The Plow or plough is an advanced pose that will help decompress and elongate the spine, relieving pressure and pain in the back and neck.
- Downward Dog works to energize and rejuvenate the entire body. It deeply stretches your lower back, shoulders, hamstring, calves, arches, and spine while it builds strength in your arms, shoulders, neck, and legs.
- The Child’s Pose is great if you happen to sit at a desk most days, stand for periods of time, or have some compression in your lower back. Folding your upper body over your legs also immediately reverses the splaying of the tailbone that can often be the cause of lower back pain. Child’s Pose opens up and stretches this area of the body.
- Cat Pose – There are many benefits of the Cat Pose, including relieving stress from lower back pain, and sciatica. The cat pose also increases the flexibility of your neck, shoulders, hips, back, spine, abdomen, and chest.
- Bharadvaja’s Twist – Benefits are that it stretches the spine, shoulders, and hips, while it massages the abdominal organs, relieving lower back, neck, and sciatic pains.
Chronic back pain affects millions of Americans every day. There are many causes for this. However, new research suggests that poor posture from overuse of technology like handheld devices are contributing to more pain and in a younger population. Practicing proper body mechanics and posture is the best way to prevent the onset of pain. Stretches and exercises like yoga can offer relief from pain, as well.