"Texting Neck Syndrome"

If you look around while waiting for the bus or at work around you, you will definitely notice a large number of people watching their mobile phone or taking notes on a laptop. There is nothing unusual about it, we all do it. What is no longer so common is the fact that these activities overload the cervical spine and adjacent areas.

Deliberately keep track of your friends, colleagues, casual passers-by in the position of their heads when using their mobile phones, tablets, laptops and other devices. I bet with you that it will not be a problem to find someone who has his head in the so-called "advanced hold", simply has his neck stretched forward and down. If you want to go a little further, ask a friend if he ever has a headache, neck pain, or even problems with his hands and fingertips. The answer will most likely be yes. Think about yourself if you suffer from headaches too.

The neck is undoubtedly the most moving part of the whole spine. Great mobility is ensured by a special design of the joints, especially in the upper neck area between the head and the first cervical vertebrae.

We can move the cervical spine in different directions. In the forward bend there is a front displacement of the vertebral bodies towards each other. This logically causes a delay on their other side, which causes tension of the soft tissues at the maximum forward bend, which can lead and often also leads to a state of solidification of these soft structures - the first important thing to remember. In backward bend, the vertebrae make a logically opposite movement and even the pressure on the plates is reversed. So even in this position, it is certain that the neck area will have a tendency to solidify and block if you are in one position or the other for a long time. Another common movement is rotation. It is very often limited to one side or the other due to muscle stiffness. Head tilt can also be difficult to perform without simultaneously tilting the entire torso. Again for many reasons - most often muscle stiffness or joint blockage. Try yourself where you have the greatest limitations or pain.

The pressure acting on our neck spine when looking at different mobile phones or other devices

The human head weighs approximately 5 kilograms. When the neck is bent forward and down, the weight acting on the cervical spine begins to grow. At a 15 degree angle, the weight increases to approximately 12 kg. At an angle of 30 degrees, it is already 18 kg. In 45 degrees even 22 kg and at 60 degrees not negligible 27 kg. With further forward bending, of course, the weight increases. If you are in this position consistently every day, month, year - you have a decent problem in this section of the spine. And you can't be surprised that your neck is in a state of utter tension and pain.

"Neck syndrome" is a current problem of the global population caused mainly by the overuse of various "smart devices" in combination with a minimum of compensatory movements. If you want to continue to use smartphones, start thinking" smart "about your posture. a lot of time visiting doctors and other professionals.

My suggestions for solving these problems

Learn to sit properly. It's easy to say, it's harder to do. For my clients, this is one of the first things we do together. And it pays off. The beginnings are often hard, but over time they thank me. One of the concepts that deals with sitting is the so-called Brügger sit position. Brügger's sitting is based on the straightening of the spine. The lower limbs are spread over the width of the shoulders and the feet lie flat on the mat in a slight outward rotation (external rotation). In the ankle joint, knee and hips, it is recommended to maintain an angle of 90 degrees when sitting. We leave the shoulders dropped freely from the ears downwards. Lower ribs point vertically forward at the same time as the chest.

Check your breath. It is best to start breathing while lying on the ground with your legs bent. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Breathe freely and watch what happens - what part of the body rises. Is the belly up? If so, you are well on your way. Do the shoulders, on the other hand, lift towards the ears? Can't you catch your breath after a while? Does your chest tilt towards your head? Yes? So you have a problem in the form of a non-ideal breathing stereotype. In this position, try to focus on raising your abdomen more than your chest and keeping your shoulders in place. When you can do this, you will be able to breathe better and the tension of the neck muscles will also decrease.

Move more. You say, "But I'm moving, I go to the fitness center for 'functional circles' or 'I'm going' on machines, depending on the mood." That's fine, but it won't do any good. You will get caught up in the so-called functional group trainings, but that does not mean that it is good for your already overworked body. You may feel better after the lesson, but problems with your musculoskeletal system or cervical spine will certainly not solve it, on the contrary, it will make it worse. The composition of the exercises there is largely "murderous" just because you have almost no opportunity to focus on controlling your breath or the technique of exercises, if you have not experienced them before and precisely learned. Instead of such nonsense, look for an expert who will teach you what is best for your body and test it adequately. After the time when you are in order, you can try such a circle training again and maybe you will know the difference and you will realize what you were wrong with.

Give your body a rest. Give your body what it needs - relaxation. Sleep at least 6-8 hours a day. Try to balance work and free time as close as possible to the 50:50 ratio.

Muscles of the neck and upper back (selected)

Platysma - its function is to control skin tension in accordance with the movement of the neck.

M. sternomastocloid (head lifter) - is a strong muscle in the front of the neck that is visible at first glance in most people - more often in women. It is often painful to the touch.

Mm. scaleni - are located on the sides of the neck under the head lifter. These small but important muscles can play an important role, for example in pain in the carpal tunnel.

M. trapezius - named for its hood-like shape. I need to pay close attention to this muscle, because it is a muscle that affects several other muscles. Among other things, the trapezius muscle fixes and stabilizes the scapula, so if it is stiff, it can, for example, pull the scapula towards the head and thus determine its functionality, which further affects the stability of the shoulder girdle. The result can be instability and dysfunction of the shoulder joint. The same is true for multiple muscles, in that they are connected to each other by so-called fascia (connective tissue) into muscle chains, so the problem of one muscle is chained and affects other muscles. Here is the second important point to remember. Multiple muscles are responsible for headache / neck pain because they interact and "pull" each other.

M. levator scapulae - is a long thin muscle located under the trapezius. Its specificity is that it is spirally wound, which allows it not only to lift the blade upwards, but also to rotate it externally. Thus, if it is solidified like a trapezoid, it will again do "mess" in the form of pulling the blade and "breaking" the stability of the entire shoulder girdle.

Mm. rhomboids - located between the spine and the medial margin of the scapula. They lie deeper below the trapezius and their main function is to stabilize the scapula during the various functions of the shoulder joint. Here we get deeper into the bowels of the thoracic spine and you may be wondering why I list all the muscles in the body. These muscles often cause gnawing superficial pain between the shoulder blades. The so-called upper cruciate ligament syndrome is also associated with rhombic muscles.

M. pectoralis major and minor - yes, even the muscles in the chest play a vital role in combating neck pain. The small pectoral muscle, with the shoulder girdle fixed, pulls the shoulder blade and shoulders upwards forward. If it is shortened, you draw the consequences yourself - round shoulders facing forward and "hunched over" back. Does it make more sense to you? I hope so.

Suboccipital group of muscles - these are very small muscles that can be found under the base of the skull, where the cervical spine connects to the skull. Although they do not stand out with their size, they definitely do with their significance. They are often very tense - deliberately put your fingers under the back of your skull - push and you will feel the pain! The stiffness of these muscles causes a large percentage of tension headaches.