Got Text Neck? Massage Can Help

“Your body is your vehicle for life. As long as you are in it, live in it. Love, honor, respect and cherish it, treat it well, and it will serve you in kind.” ~ Suzy Prudden

Walking around Boulder, America’s startup capital, you’ll see almost everybody looking at their devices.
According to research by Dr. Kenneth Hansraj, chief of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, leaning forward to look or poke at your smartphone puts pressure on the region of your spine above the shoulders, the cervical spine, somewhere around 60 pounds of pressure!

Most of us spend between 2 to 4 hours a day slumped over this way, which accumulates in a year to between 700 to 1,400 hours. No wonder we experience neck pain, tight shoulders, knots, and headaches!

If that discomfort sounds familiar, you may have a ‘text neck.’ A chiropractor, Dr. Dean L. Fishman, coined that term to refer to a repetitive stress injury created by the smartphone-viewing posture.

Recommendations to Self-Improve Text Neck

So, what’s a person to do? Dump your screens and head for Eldorado Canyon–permanently? Not likely. And fortunately, not necessary. There are a few things you can do to lessen the frequency and severity of text neck:

• Hold your smartphone up so you don’t have to hunch over to see the latest message from your friends inviting you to meet up for a Sinkburger here in Boulder. Remember: the farther you lean forward, the more pressure your big noggin puts on your spine.
• Take frequent breaks (say, every 15 minutes) from your smartphone, tablet, electronic, or whatever. Stand tall. Look up at the Flatirons or scan the vast blue lake that is our Colorado sky.
• Stretch: roll your neck slowly in one direction, breathe a few times into that stretch, then switch; do shoulder rolls. Don’t be embarrassed to do it in public either—get your friends in. You know they need it too 😉
• You have one more reason for pursuing yoga and Pilates. Go for it.
• Visit your massage therapist regularly. Call it an investment in your career. You want that neck to last you a long time, and trust me, chronic pain is not on your long-term agenda for success.

Neck Stretches for Self-Care

Some Tips for Stretching

• Stretch frequently, flexing tight joints and shaking out tense limbs.
• Stretch to a place where you feel pull but not pain. Don’t bounce.
• Hold the stretch for 3-5 breaths to increase circulation and 5-10 breaths to lengthen a muscle.
• Breathe easily while holding the stretch. Slow, full breaths can get more oxygen to your muscles and help prevent straining.
• If you feel a sharp pain when stretching, back off to a comfort zone.
• If you have a recent injury or surgery, consult your primary health practitioner before continuing a stretching routine.

There are many benefits of stretching that I have outlined in my blog, The Amazing Benefits of Stretching.

Back & Forward Head Bend

• Sit in a chair or stand up. Make sure your feet are hip-width apart.
• Back straight, head held upright.
• Lower your chin to your chest slowly. Make sure you are breathing slowly.
• Hold this position for 3-5 breaths.
• Bring your chin back up slowly and bend it backward. Not too much!
• Repeat five times.

Side Bend

• Sit in a chair or stand up.
• Back straight, head held upright.
• Bend your ear towards one shoulder – gently! Go as far as you feel the stretch. Make sure you do NOT raise your shoulders!
• As a bonus, you can take the hand you are bending towards and place it over the opposite side of your head to gently pull your head to the side for a deeper stretch.
• Hold the stretch for 3-5 breaths. Then repeat on the other side.
• Repeat five times in total.

Neck Rotation

• Sit in a chair or stand up.
• Back straight, head held upright.
• Turn your head to one side – slowly! The goal is to align your head with your shoulder, feeling the stretch on the opposite side of your neck and shoulder. Hold the stretch for 3-5 breaths and return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Repeat five times.

Shoulder Shrug

• This stretch is best done standing up.
• Make sure your legs are hip-width apart.
• Raise your shoulders up and forward, moving them in a circle forward.
• Complete six rolls.
• Return to the starting position.
• Now, make another six circles, but this time, roll your shoulders backward.

You might also find the following video about Atlas Misalignment Symptoms & Correction Exercises For Atlas Pain useful.

Heavenly Embrace Wellness has the hands to help you deal with the effects of text neck. A Deep Tissue Massage will help release Trigger Points (knots), promote blood flow, and generally loosen up those regions that are the source of your upper back and neck pain. Another option for you is to add the TMJ Treatment as an add-on to your regular massage.

Any questions? Click here to ask me. To book an appointment online, click the button below.

First-time clients: Introductory rate – only $99 for your first hour-long treatment!!

I know you’re not planning on giving up all your electronics, so let me help you shrug off the back, neck, and shoulders pain, one massage and bodywork session at a time.

Love and Light,
Liraz

Liraz Bergman-Turner is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Reiki Master & Reflexologist. She is the owner of Heavenly Embrace Wellness, a massage and energy healing practice in Boulder, CO.

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