Straight Neck Syndrome
It is estimated that the average Korean entrepreneur spends 8 hours per day on their computer or smartphone. That number will most likely increase during the winter holiday. The increased usage of these technologies has created the “Straight Neck Syndrome” for many Korean entrepreneurs, CEOs, and company workers.
However, adults are not the only ones at risks. Since we are in the technological age, most children spend a lot of time on their smartphones. They are usually playing games or watching videos on YouTube. With the weather in Korea being so cold a lot of children are staying indoors and finding entertainment on their computers or smartphones. As children’s bones are continuously growing, excessive use of smartphones may cause an imbalance in their growth process.
Korean teens are even worse when it comes to smartphone and computer usage. Most PC Bangs in Korea are dominated by teenagers. Teenagers use 5 hours a day JUST on their smartphones! So when you take out the time at school and when they go to sleep, most of their time will be on their smartphones.
So this problem applies to adults, children, and teenagers. When you look at a typical Korean subway. Most will have their necks bent staring at their smartphones. This is not surprising because these days everything is possible with smartphones. This includes listening to music, watching movies, making reservations, and even shopping. With all these positives come a negative which is the change in body shape. As well as, the pain brought on neck stiffness.
So what kind of effect does using a smartphone for the long term?
The average weight of an adult man’s head is about 13 pounds which are about the weight of an average bowling ball. The cervical spine forms a C-shaped curve which serves to evenly distribute the pressure that is exerted on the cervical spine. However, the excessive use of smartphones leads to the cervical vertebrate to become straight.
“The neck is affected the most from using smartphones. The weight of the head is shifted forward and the ligaments and muscles that support the neck are overstressed. As the neck is bent, a load of up to 60 pounds is applied to the cervical vertebrae. It is vulnerable to shock because it cannot disperse the impact when it is a straight neck. Chronic pain and headaches are accompanied and also can affect the jaw joint and spine which can cause neck disk, jaw joint disorders, scoliosis, and a pelvic imbalance.” says Kim Soo Yeon, the Deputy Chairman of Gangnam Seran Clinic for specializing in body correction.
So is it even possible to use a smartphone while at the same time keeping your neck safe? Kim Soo Yeon stressed the importance of stretching your neck in four directions (front to back, left to right) continuously when using a smartphone to prevent “straight neck” and neck disk. This will help the muscles to relax as well as the jaw joint, chest, and neck joints. Try to avoid rolling the neck and it can compress nerves and blood vessels as well as stress the muscles and cause more harm to the neck.
When using a smartphone, do not bend your head for an extended period of time at eye level, and try to relax the muscles by using the 4-direction stretching method.
