Welcome to Straight Up-Chiro Chat

August in South Africa is Women’s Month. The month where we celebrate women with all their diversity, strength, as well as their contribution to our society. So, to all our ladies, HAPPY WOMEN’S MONTH! We appreciate each and every one of you! Thank you for all that you do whether you are a grandmother, aunt, mother, sister, daughter, single, married, with or without children, working outside or inside the home, working for someone else, or running your own business. Each of you have an immeasurably important role to play in the lives of everyone with whom you interact. Sometimes, that burden can feel overwhelming. We are all here for you. So, shoulders back, chin up, and let’s have cake!

Out of many things we have to carry each day, one of the heaviest is our heads. The average human head weighs between 2.3 and 5 kilograms. It balances on two very small knobs on our first vertebrae. And while it’s held there by strong ligaments and muscles, the weight of your head puts a lot of strain on your spine. Even a small degree off vertical can cause neck pain and headaches. As you can see in the image below, the more of a tilt your neck is at, the heavier the strain on those ligaments, muscles, and small knobs on one small vertebrae. While the weight of a two-year-old child can vary, tilting your neck to use a device is the equivalent of carrying a toddler in front of you using only your neck. And that isn’t a good idea. The result is Text Neck and Sitting Disease.

As If That Wasn’t Bad Enough

Not only is texting a sedentary activity, but it is only one of a long list of sedentary activities that fill our lives. Watching television, doom scrolling, driving to and from work, working on a computer – these all take their toll and put you at risk for a whole host of other problems that fall under the heading of Sitting Disease.

Because of our addiction and reliance on mobile phones, tablets, and computer screens, text neck and sitting disease starts as soon as we begin using devices as children.

“Sit up and stand up straight, don’t slouch! Head back, shoulders back, chin up, tummy and butt in!” – a command that many of us heard as we grew up from parents, aunts, and teachers. While in the past, it was mostly because what was then called ‘slouching’ was, and still is, an ugly look. If you slouch too much, and for too long, not only will you end up with the consequences we’re going to talk about, but you’ll also end up with dowagers’ hump. Today we call it text hump! A seriously bad look.

Today, “Sit up and stand up straight, don’t slouch! Head back, shoulders back, chin up, tummy and butt in!” is a better-health mantra. We are far more aware of the spinal problems and other related poor health consequences you will suffer if your posture is bad.

Let’s start with the worst ones

• Hyperkyphosis – text neck of more than fifty degrees
• Cardiovascular problems including heart disease
• Constricted breathing due to compressed lungs
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Lung, colon, and uterine cancers.
• Spinal degeneration and disc issues

Other issues include:

• Pinched nerves in your neck
• Debilitating headaches
• Persistent and chronic shoulder and lower back pain
• Reduced circulation
• Depression and lethargy

What can you do?

Here are 10 ways to prevent text neck or reverse it if you already have it.

• Sit up straight and have good back support.
• Make sure your thighs are parallel to the floor and that your ankles are slightly forward of your knees.
• Make sure your keyboard is not too far away. If you have to reach for it that will pull your neck forward. Your elbows should be tucked into your waist and your forearms parallel to the floor as much as possible.
• Improve your overall posture by pulling your shoulders back and keeping your chin parallel to the ground. This also prevents neck wrinkles.
• Get the blood flowing by exercising every day with cardio and strength training for a minimum of 30 mins first thing in the morning or last thing at night. But the morning is better as it sets you up nicely for the day.
• Every 30 mins get up and walk around, do a set of body twists, touching your toes, shoulder rolls, head turns, arm swings, four or five deep breaths, and some jumping jacks. Get that blood flowing, re-set your mind, break any procrastination, and refocus. It also releases tension throughout your body, which is good for your spine, and stops you unconsciously grinding your teeth.
• Elevate your computer screen so that you are looking straight at it and not down at an angle.
• Tilt your computer screen so that the top of the screen is further away. Screens that are straight or tilted forward tend to make you lean forward and to slouch.
• Try to use desktop versions of communication apps instead of the mobile version. WhatsApp, for example, has a desktop version as well as a mobile version of their app.
• When standing, think of a string coming out the top of your head that is pulling you up-right, and pulling your shoulders back at the same time. Your ear should line up with your shoulder. An impossible feat if you have text neck! Imagine you are on the red carpet at the Oscars, then sit, stand and walk as if you’re Cate Blanchet or Tom Hiddleston.

How can Chiropractic care help?

If you are already suffering the effects of poor posture and a sedentary lifestyle, then you’re probably in pain – a sore neck, feeling stiff, aching shoulders and lower back, poor digestion, bad sleep, etc. It’s always a good idea to get your spine realigned properly before you start doing jumping jacks and resistance training! Begin as you mean to go on – with a perfectly aligned spine, and pain-free.

A chiropractor is your best friend when it comes to creating the perfect posture. By re-aligning your spine, all the systems in your body, nerves, muscles, blood vessels etc can operate as they are supposed to, this includes your endocrine system – the one responsible for your mood and hormones.

Yours in health,
Dr. Monica and Helen