The Not-So-Smart-Phone Neck

This is the era of the smart phone (iPhone, iPad, Android)… it doesn’t matter what type of device it is, overuse is just not smart!  They all have one thing in common… we spend a ton of time looking down! Look up for a minute and look around you! Everywhere you go people are bent over some device, putting their necks into a position we weren’t made to be in for long periods of time. Hence the Not-So-Smart-Phone Neck (AKA iPhone Neck)! I have so many people come into my clinic with this new pain. It is just simply amazing.

There are two amazingly simple solutions… One – Gua Sha! It makes me chuckle that a 2000+-year-old healing technique is coming to the rescue of a totally modern new phenomenon. Here is a picture of someone who loves to play games on her iPad waaaaayyyyy too much.

She calls it “Tapped Out” neck because she loves to play the Simpsons Tapped Out game (with 4-6 million players) all day long. Plus, checking emails, plus checking Facebook, plus posting on Instagram… What kind of sore neck do you have? Snapchat neck? Hay-I-Got-A-Pain-In-The-Neck Day? Facebook fatigue neck? Insta-Pain-In-the-Neck? Un-linked in the neck?  I could go on all day.

Gua Sha on the back of your neck will help release the muscle strain from spending long periods of time in the smart phone position. If you want to add a little more advanced Gua Sha, do it while slowly moving your neck forward and back, then side to side.

This person had pain plus numbness going down her arms. She felt better right away! And it also helped her become aware of the different positions that were aggravating her neck.

The second answer to healing the Not-So-Smart-Phone neck is… decrease the time on your devices. Also, changing the position of the device could help. I think laying in bed using the device is the major cause of these problems. Most people are propping their heads up with a pillow, putting the neck forward in another bad position. Bottom line–the pain will get better with LESS use.

Next up, iPhone thumb! Yes, it’s a REAL issue…