Can you tell what’s wrong with this photo and more importantly why it’s wrong?
Forward neck posture is a common cause of neck pain, jaw pain, headaches and shoulder aches. The reason is because by leaning forward to look at screens like smartphones and computers, you’re asking the tiny muscles in your neck and back to hold a position they were never meant to hold.
Imagine you were holding a 10 pound bowling ball upright. Now tilt your arm forward a few degrees. Can you feel the pressure increasing on the tiny muscles in your wrist? How long do you think you can hold this position before getting tendinitis? This is what happens when we lean forward for too long except the thing that weighs 10 pounds is of course your head.
You won’t give up your phone and I’m not asking you to, but there are a few things you can do.
The very best thing is to sit back, relax and listen to a podcast or some music. We recommend Freakonomics Radio is you’re on the train.
If you need to use your phone screen, the next best option is to simply keep your head upright and your shoulders back without tilting your neck down or forward. I can’t emphasize this enough. I recommend that when using a phone, lean back in your seat, hold the phone with both hands, plant your elbows on your rib cage as a support, and keep that head square over your shoulders. Keep your shoulders relaxed otherwise you’ll make your pain worse. Be sure to look up and move your neck around every few minutes.
If you’re serious about protecting your neck and you take the train every day, I also recommend putting a small neck pillow or rolled up jacket behind your neck (not your head) to give yourself extra support to take the lean and strain out of those smaller muscles. It takes a little experimentation to find the right amount of padding behind your neck, but it’s quite comfortable. When using your phone in this position, you can also rest your elbow on the armrest to keep your shoulders as relaxed as possible. Whatever you do, just don’t use your laptop on the train, the effects are quite damaging in the long term.
Strengthening the smaller muscles in your neck is helpful to keep things in place. Here are 3 exercises you can explore.
If you’re in pain, Chiropractic adjustment can also help by reopening nerve channels, which allows your body to unlock old positional habits that you find yourself in and don’t realize. Awareness is the key starting point and seeking a professional is the best way to see real results. You’re already part way there if you made it this far.
Main Street Chiropractic, your local Chiropractor in Babylon, is here to help. If you’re not from the area, start by searching the internet for “Chiropractor near me” and read their reviews.
You can book an appointment with Dr. Bob online below or call us at 631-983-8500 if you find yourself in pain and peeking at your phone more than you’d prefer.
- Dr. Bob
Main Street Chiropractic
Babylon, NY