Texting and Our Health

Effects of Texting

Detrimental Effects of Texting

According to statistics, as of 2014, approximately 90 percent of Canadian adults own cell phones, and about 80 percent of the people use them to text.   This statistics is based on the information gathered by the Pew Research Center.

When I started my Mississauga chiropractic office in 1999, very few people have cell phones, and there were no texting available.  The time has changed, and almost every one of my patients including myself carries our phones with us everywhere we go.

In our chiropractic clinic in Mississauga, I often notice that patients are usually on their phone texting while waiting in the reception area.  As a chiropractor, I can’t help but notice that many patients have postures while texting that is less than ideal.  I think most of us can relate to sending and receiving text messages daily.  The average person not only text on their phones, but we also spend time talking, surfing the Web, or using it as a gaming device. 

The forward head posture while texting has lead to detrimental head posture that puts severe pressure on the spine.  I have seen some spinal degeneration in the neck of patients as young as 17 years old.  The reason is that an average adult head weighs approximately 10 to 12 pounds, and any forward tilt of the head exerts pressures of as much as 60 pounds at 60-degree angle.  That can result in tremendous stress and pressure on the neck as well as the rest of the spine.   In fact, this phenomenon is so common that the term Text Neck was  named for the damage that happens to the human neck from the common use of cell phones.

The Active Family Chiropractic and Wellness Centre has been serving Mississauga residents for over 16 years.  Our focus is in family chiropractic care and the preventative aspect of health care.  If you would like to speak to one of health care professionals, please feel free to call our Mississauga office at  905-821-4951.