When sitting at a restaurant or walking through a store, stop and take note of how many people are connected to their cell phones, tablets or computers. In this high tech world no one wants to be left behind, and with infinite information at your fingertips why would you look away?
Constantly bending your head and neck places extra strain on your neck and body. Poor posture changes not only your spinal alignment but also how the muscles work. This can cause more wear and tear on the vertebrae, joints and surrounding supportive tissues. Making changes now to your posture and limiting screen time may help to save your joints in the future.
Good posture helps keep the spine in line and healthy. This applies not only when using technology but actually all the time. When using your phone or tablet try raising it to your eye line instead of always looking down, and use your laptop in a position that doesn't require slouching and bending over. Try reducing the amount of work done on handheld devices and complete tasks on a laptop or desktop when you can. If you spend long amounts of time at a computer or using devices, take breaks every two hours and spend about 15 minutes stretching and releasing tension. Take care to stretch your neck, shoulders, back and chest to help protect your joints and muscles against degenerative changes.
If you are already experiencing changes in your neck and back, talk with your doctor about treatment options available to you. Your doctor may pinpoint the cause of your back or neck pain and help you develop preventive strategies against worsening problems.
