Text Neck

Text Neck

The act of holding your head flexed and forward while looking down at your handheld device and/or laptop screen places your cervical spine in a tenuous position.  Our neck normally has a forward lordotic curve. This curve is straightened with prolonged forward head posture. Over long periods of time, maintaining this head-forward posture can lead to muscle strain, disc injury, nerve impingement and arthritic changes of the neck. This increases the potential for developing ongoing neck and shoulder pain, headaches, and pain radiating down the arms.

For every one inch of forward head posture away from neutral the weight of your head increases by 100% or 10lbs. The more your neck has gone forward, the more weight it has to carry. This disorder is associated with chronic headaches, shoulder and neck pain. Medical research has also uncovered evidence of related early onset arthritis and even decrease lung capacity. Try this for yourself. Have your head over your shoulders, take a deep breath. Put your head forward and try that same deep breath. It was harder to take the deep breath with the head forward wasn’t it!

The original term was "text neck"—the new term “tech neck” highlights the fact that it's not just texting anymore—almost all the time we spend looking at any screen has the potential for damaging the neck.

Exercises can help improve your posture, strengthen your neck and create better habits for everyday life. To avoid developing degenerative neck changes due to posture, here are several simple steps you can start today.

Set time limits. Limit the amount of time and frequency that you use your device. If you have to use it for an extended period of time, take breaks. Develop a habit of taking a three-minute break for every 15-20 minutes you use your device. Change your posture and move around.

Set automatic reminders. Utilize an automatic alarm with your smart device reminding you to take a time out

Use a tablet holder. Purchase a holder to elevate your device to significantly reduce the amount of neck flexion and forward positioning. Try to keep the device as close to eye-level as possible.

Sit in a chair with a headrest. Switch to a chair with a headrest, and make sure to keep the back of your head in contact with the headrest while using your tablet, phone or laptop. Keeping the back of your head flush against the headrest will ensure that you're not looking down with your neck flexed forward.

Use pain as a warning. If you're experiencing pain in your neck, between the shoulder blades, numbness or tingling in the arms, or frequent headaches there may be a more serious issue going on. Pay attention to these warning signs and act quickly to make changes to reduce or eliminate any head-forward posture that is straining your neck.

Chiropractic treatment is the best option for these issues. If you are having symptoms or just want to check if you or your children have this problem, book an appointment.

As a general rule, the sooner you seek treatment the more likely it is that you'll have success in treating the problem.

Dr. Stephen Kelly D.C.

Dr. Kelly practices at Family First Chiropractic located at 142 Erickson drive in Red Deer. Call us today to book an appointment (403)347-3261 or visit us at www.family1stchiro.ca

Chiropractic and Muscle Spasm

Chiropractic and Muscle Spasm

Remember that time you bent down to pick up a pencil/pen, and your back twisted out of place. Instant pain as muscles went into spasm. The pain can be so intense that you can barely move. 

Could something as simple as picking up a pencil/pen cause such pain?

The answer is that it isn’t what you did. It’s what you didn’t do. The everyday act of bending down to pick up an object did not cause this chain of events to occur. These overextended muscles were already strained. Due to repetitive movements during our everyday activities and habits like swinging a hammer, heavy lifting or poor posture from sitting in front of a computer all day. Can cause muscles to become strained, stiff and go into spasm. They go into spasm is to protect the joint involved from further harm.

Usually muscles have become strained over a period of time. Then all it takes is a sudden movement like reaching down for a pencil and the already strained muscle goes into spasm. Muscle spasm or cramping is an involuntary, sudden, severe muscle contraction. This contraction can cut off blood supply which can cause even more pain and cause the muscle to contract even further. Spasms can last from a few seconds or can immobilize a patient on the floor for hours because the muscle won’t relax with movement. It all depends on the cause of the spasm.

If it is due to fatigue, dehydration or an electrolyte deficiency. Spasms can last seconds to several minutes. If it is caused by a protective mechanism to avoid further nerve irritation. Pain and Spasms can last for days or even weeks depending on the amount of joint irritation or disc involvement. Warning signs consist of stiffness and tenderness. Patients have reported feeling the need to stretch or rub muscles regularly due to stiffness and tenderness. There is usually an underlying cause to these symptoms that should be dealt with before escalating.

The good news is that Chiropractic care can treat most types of cramping and muscle spasms. Chiropractic can also help in prevent Muscle spasms from occurring in the first place. Proper nerve innervation is essential for proper muscle function. Regular Chiropractic adjustments locate and correct areas of the spine where there is nerve dysfunction.

In addition to Chiropractic care try the following that will aid in the healing process.

-Massage therapy assist in alleviating pain.

-Increase your intake of magnesium, calcium and water.

-Apply an ice/heat combo that will help with inflammation and increase blood supply.

Dr. Elton Clemence D.C.

Dr. Elton Clemence practices at Family First Chiropractic located at 142 Erickson drive in Red Deer. Call us today to book an appointment (403)347-3261 or visit us at www.family1stchiro.ca

CranioSacral Therapy and Our Children

CranioSacral Therapy and Our Children

Now that the kids are back to school and we are getting back into a routine some of us need to think about our children’s health issues and how we can help them make the most out of their school year.  CranioSacral Therapy, like most other formal and complementary treatments is never successful in 100% of cases. 

However, the following gives some idea of the degree of success in certain situations:

·         Dr. John Upledger's research has found that 50 – 60% of hyperactive child problems originate in the CranioSacral system and can be treated successfully with CST.

·         Learning disabilities and dyslexia – again 50-60% of problems can be effectively treated with CST if the problem is caused by a malfunction of the CranioSacral system.

·         Autism. Three years of intensive research with autistic children in the late 1970’s revealed significant reduction in self-destructive behavior and improvement in displays of affection and social interaction. These improvements, however, usually deteriorated in 3-6 months after the CranioSacral Therapy treatment discontinued.

Jeannette Raskin practices at Family First Chiropractic, 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer, Alberta.  403-347-3261. www.family1stchiro.ca.