Do you often leave your kids playing mobile games or watching video content online through their phone, tablet, or iPad for long hours? Do your kids complain about aching necks and shoulders whenever they turn in their gadgets? Are you concerned that the painful sensation can progress into something serious like carpal tunnel syndrome?

According to a study conducted in India, tech neck is one of the many symptoms found in children diagnosed with chronic problems like carpal tunnel syndrome. Doctors note that an alarming number develop tech necks due to their hunching posture while checking or scrolling through mobile devices. It is also widely attributed to atlas subluxation, a postural problem that can set off a plethora of health issues for the affected individual.

Why Prolonged Mobile Device Usage Spell Bad News for the Cervical Spine

The neck or cervical spine comprises several bones, joints, ligaments, nerves, muscle fiber groups, and blood vessels. A delicate balance between these structures keeps the head in an upright position.However, that balance gets disrupted when you frequently tilt your head down while browsing a mobile gadget or suffer from a traumatic injury like whiplash and concussions. The joints and ligaments must work double time to support the head, which weighs around 10 to 12 pounds on average. Eventually, the prolonged and improper use of mobile devices can cause connective tissues in the neck to wear out and get damaged, causing the bones (such as the atlas and axis) to slip or dislodge. This is among the reasons why experts advise parents or guardians of young children and teens to supervise mobile gadget usage. 

It’s Not Too Late: Help Your Kids Cope with Tech Neck With These Simple Tips

While it can be quite worrying when kids develop painful conditions like tech neck, parents or guardians like you have plenty of options to work around the situation. Some of these include:

• Start your day with an exercise routine with your kid – Helping your child develop a fitness routine like cycling, jogging, or brisk walking in the morning can help decrease risks for atlas bone misalignment. 

• Demonstrate proper posture while using a phone or other gadgets – Remind your kid to bring the device near his or her face, not the other way around. Also, demonstrate how to sit properly to avoid hunching or slumping.

• Apply a hot or cold compress – Heat or cold therapy works wonders for painful muscles and connective tissues. Use a cold compress or an ice pack to soothe inflammation and a hot compress to relax the nerves and help the body heal faster.

• Work closely with an Upper Cervical doctor – Once the atlas bone slips out of neutral alignment, it will remain that way unless an Upper Cervical Chiropractor applies the required adjustment. So, booking a consultation with a nearby practice is worth it.

Address Atlas Subluxation with Upper Cervical Care

Besides poor posture, neck pain, and atlas subluxation can stem from injuries from the past. So, if your child tends to play rough or has a history of whiplash or concussions, we recommend booking your appointment with an Upper Cervical doctor. It’s possible that the painful or tingling sensation all boils down to misaligned neck bones. Confirming this with a board-certified Upper Cervical Chiropractor will help your child receive gentle adjustments needed to nurse the body back to health. Help your child enjoy playtime and avoid other health mishaps that develop due to a misaligned neck, like vertigo, nerve pain, and headaches. Book a consultation with the nearest practice today for a quick neck bone assessment.

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