6 Chiropractor Approved Exercises to Fight Text Neck

• Dr Gholam Sarwar

6 Chiropractor Approved Exercises to Fight Text Neck

How can you make a text neck?

How likely is it that you are reading this article on your smartphone and engaging in the dangerous position of text neck? (Definition: Head forward, shoulders rounded, and back slumped. This is also called "text neck", and it's a severe problem.

According to Harvard Medical Health, 7/10 people will experience neck pains at some time in their lives. People spend around five hours a day looking at their smartphones. This can cause severe text-neck aches.

Text neck compression and tightening of muscle, tendon, and ligament structures in front and behind the neck. The human head is 10 pounds. Sarwarpro explains that your neck must carry twice as much weight for every inch your head tilted forward. This extra strain can add up over time.

However, it is not possible to completely abandon our mobile devices. Instead, we can exercise and adopt good habits to avoid the pains and aches associated with text neck.

Exercises to overcome text neck

Sarwarpro Physiotherapy Rehabilitation and Wellness Center suggests that strengthening and stretching your muscles can help relieve some of the nagging neck pain.

With the help of professional chiropractors, we have compiled a list of the most effective equipment-free stretches. These exercises can be incorporated into your daily life one to three times per day to show that you are the boss.

1. Exaggerated nod

Sarwarpro explains that the exaggerated nod counterbalances the forward/downward head position by pulling your shoulders back and increasing neck mobility.

How do you do it?

⇒ Begin by sitting down at your desk or standing straight up with your shoulders relaxed. Look up at the ceiling with your mouth closed, teeth not clenching but touching.

⇒ Now, pause and relax your jaw. Open your mouth. Try to bring your head back a few inches. Usually, you can.

⇒ Keep your head straight and align your jaws to align your lower jaw with your upper jaw. Close your mouth. The front of your neck should feel stretched.

⇒ A dog that is downward facing

2. Downward-Facing Dog

Goodrich suggests that Downward-Facing Dog can be used to open the anterior chest wall, shoulders, and neck. These areas are often tightened by excessive-tech use. This pose requires upper-body strength. If you don't have enough shoulder strength, you can compensate by raising your shoulders to your ears. Try actively drawing your shoulder blades to your back if you find yourself doing this. This will create space for your neck.

How do you do it?

⇒ Start on your fours. Toes should be buried, and your hips lifted high.

⇒ Keep your heels pointing back towards the mat but don't allow them to touch the ground.

⇒ Your neck should be long so you can drop your head.

⇒ Press your thumbs and forefingers into your thumbs to relieve the pressure on your wrists.

⇒ Take at least three deep, slow breaths here. Release.

3. Cat-Cow

Your core and pelvis should drive the Cat-Cow flow. Inhale and create an anterior tilt of your pelvis, so your tailbone faces the ceiling. Exhale and create a posterior tilt, so your tailbone faces the ground. This movement sequence improves spinal awareness and is an essential part of poor posture.

How do you do it?

⇒ Your shoulders should be stacked above your wrists. Keep your hips up high and your hips over your knees. Keep your eyes down and extend your neck a few inches below your ears.

⇒ Begin the "cat" phase by using your abs to curve your spine towards the ceiling and tuck in your tailbone as you exhale. Your neck should be extended. Allow your chin to reach in toward your chest so that your ears touch your biceps.

⇒ Begin the "cow" phase by swiping and scooping your pelvis until your belly falls to the ground as you inhale. Next, lift your chest and chin toward the ceiling. Spread your shoulders out and draw your shoulders back from your ears.

⇒ You can cycle through Cat-Cow several times to keep stress and pressure off your neck and head.

4. Padahastasana

Goodrich explains that Padahastasana is a stretching exercise that stretches the neck, hamstrings, and hips.

How do you do it?

⇒ Start by removing your shoes. Place your feet hip-distance apart. Next, extend your arms outwards and let your hands touch the ground. Don't strain your arms if you find it difficult to bend forward.

⇒ Relax your head by pressing your palm against your palm, focusing on the balls of your feet. Your toes should reach into the wrist creases.

5. Bow pose

The bow pose can be used to correct slouched shoulders. It opens them from the front and strengthens them from the back.

How do you do it?

⇒ Place your hands on either side of your chest and lie flat on your stomach.

⇒ Bring your heels as close as possible to your buttocks by bending your knees. Reach your hands backward and grab onto the outer ankles of your feet with both of your hands. Inhale and lift your heels toward the ceiling.

⇒ Lift your heels while pressing your tailbone into the mat for a more intense stretch. Turn your head forward and lift your shoulders towards the sky.

⇒ For 10 seconds, hold this position. Slowly lower your legs and the rest of the body to the ground with an inhale.

6. Chin tuck

You can do chin tuck at your desk, at the stoplight or in a meeting at work. Sarwarpro says that this simple stretch will increase spinal awareness and strengthen the neck muscles, helping to pull your head back into alignment.

How do you do it?

⇒ Place your head up high in a chair, and place your chin on the ground. Gently draw your head back and chin in the same direction as a double chin. It would help if you did not jam your head. The back of your neck should feel stretched.

⇒Imagine a string pulling your head up like a puppet. Now, elongate the neck. Push the base of your skull away from your neck. Relax your jaw and take three deep, slow breaths.