Are You Losing Your Mind Trying To Get Ahead?
We live in a culture where literally everyone has a screen – even many toddlers carry around an iPad. School-age kids have smartphones and do their work on Chromebooks. These devices are meant to make our lives easier, but they may be killing our brains.
Forward Head Posture (FHP) is a condition sweeping the nation as people are spending more time looking down at a screen. This stretches the upper spine forward creating tension on the central nervous system and can even pinch off the nerve supply to organs such as the thyroid and brain. FHP can cause:
- Headaches
- Neck pain
- Arthritis
- Muscular strain
- Muscular spasms
- Pinched nerves
- Damaged discs
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
- TMJ
- Fibromyalgia
- Fatigue
- Numbness in hands
- Low back pain
- Loss of control of legs
- Increased intracranial pressure
- Declining brain health
It’s important to be mindful of your posture as you work, text and scroll. Tucking your elbows into your ribs and bringing your phone up to your face to text relieves 40 pounds of pressure from your neck. You can also raise your monitor or laptops to eye level to reduce strain from your spine.
So, chin up! You don’t have to go crazy getting rid of your devices to beat FHP. There are things you can do to keep your head on your shoulders.
The Chamber’s Working Well in Coppell Committee is excited to launch a new addition to the Chamber’s newsletter and blog – a series of educational articles written by members of our Healthcare Council. The Chamber’s Healthcare Council meets monthly in a collaborative environment where medical practitioners, administrators and experts from diverse healthcare sectors can share experiences and best practices and grow their professional network. For information about joining, contact ellie@coppellchamber.org.
