We
live in a world where technology dominates our daily lives. From
watching TV, utilizing computers for work, video games for kids, and
of course, staring at our smart phone for hours mindlessly scrolling
through social media or playing games. It is pretty clear that the
world would not be what it is today without technology. However, as
technology rapidly grows with each passing day, its consequences are
starting to catch up with our health and they are presenting us with
serious problems.
Recently, more and more children, teenagers
and young adults are developing hunchbacks due to the poor posture
associated with constant use of cell phones and other devices with
screens. It's even become common in parents, the middle-aged and the
aging populations. We used to associate bad posture, slouching
shoulders and a hunchback as a sign of old age or a symbol of
depression, weakness and an inferiority complex. Now, even the
strong-willed, the leaders and the empowered are developing
hunchbacks while they are young.
No matter what piece of
technology you use, your neck and nerves may be paying the ultimate
price. For every inch you look down at your phone, the weight of your
head increases by roughly 10 pounds. Multiply these by several hours
a day, 7 days a week for months on end and what happens? This forward
head translation places an enormous amount of stress on spinal bones,
nerves and the muscles that control your head movement.
It is
not a coincidence that headaches and neck pain are increasingly being
seen by chiropractors and other healthcare providers. Because your
body is amazingly adaptable, the hunchback is your body's method of
adapting and coping with the stress that looking down on your phone
places on your neck and spine. This body position can reverse the
curvature of your neck and place additional stress on the entire
spine and nervous system causing all types of health problems and
accelerating spinal and nerve degeneration, interfering with your
health on many levels both today and as you age.
The nervous
system is the master controller of your entire body, and it is
imperative to make sure that it is healthy. Much like a cell phone
requires a tower signal in order to send and receive calls and
messages, your nervous system is your body's natural IT system that
is responsible for sending electrical signals to and from your brain
so you can move, breathe, talk, and perform all of your favorite
activities. When this system is interfered with, dis-ease sets in and
manifests itself in a variety of painful, chronic and unfavorable
ways.
Straighten up. Don't wait for a crisis! Be conscious of
your posture when you're on the phone. Make the health of your
nervous system a priority with Chiropractic Lifestyle Care. Don't let
technology make you old before your time. Live your ideal 100 Year
Lifestyle and unlock the potential that will allow you to live your
best life, every day of your life.
Contributed by Cory
Plasker, BEXSc
This
article is provided by Gitto Advanced Chiropractic & Functional
Nutrition Chiropractor in
Northfield NJ