Enslaved to technology

Attached to your phone, glued to the screen, at the mercy of e-mails and social media updates; 21st century jobs and lifestyles often seem to demand that we stay on top of everything at once. We have to have our fingers on the pulse and keep ourselves one step ahead to avoid falling by the wayside. This type of responsibility is felt internally but it manifests itself in myriad ways, including physically. The stress alone is enough to kill, but the actions we take within this lifestyle are also telling. More and more studies are giving credence to the damaging effects of technology on our minds, spines, fingers and everything in between. Tech pain and text neck have become buzzwords to which most of us can relate. So how do we prevent this vicious cycle from chewing up our bodies and spitting us out at the end of our careers in pain? Let’s take a look. 

Preventing tech pain

Examples of tech pain include:

• Gamer’s thumb
• Text neck
• Elbow pain
• Lower back pain
• Muscle stiffness particularly in the back neck and shoulders 
• Piriformis syndrome and sciatica

While these conditions are not exclusive to technology users, they are heavily influential in the lives of those who use technology heavily. We have to start changing the way we interact with devices- setting time limits, taking frequent breaks and raising our devices to eye level- to prevent them from taking a toll on our spines. 23 hours a week texting, e-mailing and using social media; this is the latest damning statistic to emerge regarding our tech-heavy lifestyle. If you are spending that much time using technology, you need to be spending an equal amount of time looking out for your spine. 

Pay attention to your tech pain

At Hayes Family Chiropractic, we are Dunedin’s resource for managing tech pain. We help you create a game plan that optimizes the condition of your body, office ergonomics, lifestyle factors and stress management to help prevent tech pain from becoming a part of your life. If you are interested in finding out more, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today.