[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/12\/what-is-texting-neck\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/12\/what-is-texting-neck\/","headline":"What Is Texting Neck?","name":"What Is Texting Neck?","description":"Checking your phone too frequently can be a real pain in the neck. We love texting. The average American sends between 250 and 2,000 texts per month\u2014that\u2019s nearly 70 messages a day at the high end of the range. Even when not reading or sending texts, you may still look down at your phone for […]","datePublished":"2018-12-26","dateModified":"2021-04-22","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/campaigns\/southcentral-pa","name":"UPMC Harrisburg","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/campaigns\/southcentral-pa","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc-harrisburg\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/what-is-texting-neck.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/what-is-texting-neck.jpg","height":325,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/12\/what-is-texting-neck\/","about":["Living and Wellness"],"wordCount":428,"keywords":["back pain","neck pain","Pinnacle Health"],"articleBody":"Checking your phone too frequently can be a real pain in the neck. We love texting. The average American sends between 250 and 2,000 texts per month\u2014that\u2019s nearly 70 messages a day at the high end of the range.Even when not reading or sending texts, you may still look down at your phone for other reasons. Sixty-four percent of American adults own smartphones, using the devices to do everything from online banking to applying for jobs. All this looking down is bad news for your neck.You put up to 60 pounds of pressure on your neck when you bend it to look down at a phone. Your head weighs between 10 and 12 pounds, but gravitational pull brings the pressure to higher levels depending on the angle of your neck. The range of problems that develop based on chronic smartphone overuse is called \u201ctext neck.\u201dSlipping Spines and IrritationsText neck can result in pain in the neck and upper shoulders, headaches, and a change in the curve of the neck. Like other overuse issues, such as tennis elbow or runner\u2019s knee, it can also lead to problems that can get worse over time, including:ArthritisHerniated and bulging discsMuscle strainPinched nervesThese problems are starting to show up more in younger and younger patients. Because many teens are so frequently using cellphones and smartphones, and because they may not be as aware of their posture as they should be, they may have neck pain that they don\u2019t realize is related to checking their smartphones.Pay Attention for PreventionThe best way to prevent text neck and related problems is to limit the use of your phone. If you do check your device frequently, use your arms to hold your phone directly in front of your face rather than angling your neck to look at the screen.You can also perform these exercises to relieve tension in the neck and shoulders:Roll your head gently from side to side.Press your head against your hands, first pressing forward, then pushing your hands to the back to press backward.Stand about 2 feet back from a corner. Place your left arm on the left-side wall and your right arm on the right-side wall, then lean in as far as possible without any pain. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds to work your shoulder muscles.If you have neck, shoulder or back pain that\u2019s causing problems, the Spine Care Center can help. To learn more, visit UPMCPinnacle.com\/spine or call 1-877-499-SPINE.Featuring Michael L. Fernandez, MD"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2018","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"12","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/\/12\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What Is Texting Neck?","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2018\/12\/what-is-texting-neck\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]