Smartphones and Neck Pain, a Different Approach

For individuals with neck pain who are unable to manage their condition with exercise alone, chiropractic care can be an excellent choice. Doctors of chiropractic are trained to diagnose the root causes of a patient’s mechanical neck pain and to deliver manual therapies to restore motion to the affected joints, which can reduce pain and disability. Treatment may also involve nutritional recommendations to aid the healing process and the prescription of specific exercises to strengthen weakened deep neck muscles and reduce the risk for neck pain recurrence.

While devices have become a part of life and advice to limit screen time will go unheeded, there are steps that can be taken to reduce one’s risk for device-related neck pain. For example, avoid looking downward when using an electronic device. Instead, hold it at eye level so you can maintain good posture. Additionally, get regular exercise as the stress of movement is how the joints in the body (including those in the neck) are nurtured and hydrated. Since low grade inflammation in the body may increase the risk for neck pain, get plenty of sleep, manage stress, and eat more fruits and vegetables (and less processed food). If you have any questions on which neck-specific exercises may be most beneficial for your individual case, ask your doctor of chiropractic at your next visit.