A Bowling Ball on a Stick
That’s what your head and neck basically are. A 12–14lbs weight balanced on top of a segmented, 2 inch diameter dowel, with a “Twizzler” consistency spinal cord inside. It’s not surprising the prevalence of neck pain, muscle tension and nerve irritation now considering the extreme strain those structures are under when you’re bent over a computer screen or cell phone all day.
Every inch your head creeps forward from its neutral, relaxed position adds 10lbs of perceived weight on your neck. For the average person glued to their mobile device that’s like adding 42-52lbs of extra strain to your muscles and supporting ligaments throughout the day. Try it for yourself… hold a bowling ball close to your chest, then extended way out in front of you. Doesn’t take long to figure out which position taxes your muscles and joints more – resulting in more pain, more stiffness and more degenerative dis-ease.
The solution – do some “opposing” good for your neck. Ditching the cell phone is an unrealistic request (no one’s going to do that). But you can incorporate healthy countermeasures like regular chiropractic adjustment and home stretches to mitigate the stress your neck experiences from spending hours on a mobile device. If you don’t, your health could end up in the gutter!