“Text Neck Syndrome”

“Text neck syndrome” Forward head posture.

The average human head weighs somewhere between 4-6 kg. When you are sitting straight with your head stacked above your spine this weight is not a problem. The problem comes in as soon as you lean your head forward. Every 2 cm you lean your head forward and downward you put an additional 4 kg of force onto your neck and spine. When this extra pressure continues for prolonged periods, it can lead neck pain and aches, headaches and unwanted tightness and tension in the body.

Also with time your body will start to adapt to this new position and lead to a forward head posture with rounded shoulders and a hunched back.

Below are some tips for helping to improve your posture when sitting for long periods:

• When sitting in an office you can elevate your laptop or computer monitor so that the top of the screen is at eye level
• Try using a chair that keeps your knees lower than your hips with your feet firmly on the floor
• Your desk should be at a height that allows your forearms to be parallel to the floor while your shoulders are relaxed
• When using a mobile device, try to avoid slouching over, by holding the phone at eye level
• Try to stand up and walk around after every 30 minutes of sitting.