BEYOND TEXT NECK
Protect Your Joints From Bad Smartphone Habits
• Switch ears. Do you cradle the phone between your neck and ear when talking? Make sure to switch ears regularly so your neck isn’t craning to one side for very long. • Keep your head up. Avoiding craning your neck down to look at the screen. Keep your chin up and hold your phone at eye level like you’re about to take a picture. • Take breaks. Set your phone down every 20 minutes and take a walk or stretch. If you suffer from discomfort after smartphone use, stretching and heating/cooling pads can alleviate pain. But if the pain remains or is preventing you from enjoying other activities, you may need to seek professional help. Your physical therapist at Horizon Physical Therapy can help you restore joint mobility and muscle strength with a customized treatment plan. Your PT can also teach you strategies for preventing smartphone-related pain.
When texting and cellphones became commonplace, doctors were surprised to see a rise in a problem they called “text neck.” This phrase applied to headaches, shoulder pain, and arm pain due to excessive text messaging. As cellphones gave way to advanced smartphones, more people began reporting this painful condition. Spending hours craning your neck to look down at your phone when watching videos or scrolling through social media has its costs. Pain in the thumbs and wrists is also a common side effect of excessive smartphone use. This condition, called De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, is inflammation of the tendons. It’s the result of many hours spent texting, emailing, or playing games on your smartphone. Both text neck and De Quervain’s tenosynovitis are forms of repetitive strain injuries. Our lives have become heavily dependent on technology to work, stay informed, and remain connected with our loved ones. We cannot cut smartphones entirely out of our lives, but we must be aware of the long-term impact using technology can have on our posture, joint movement, and muscle strength. Here are some good strategies to help you protect your joint health. • Stick to short textmessages. If you need to send a longmessage or anticipate a lengthy conversation, it’s better tomake a phone call.
Call 810-620-8042 and ask what you can do to protect your joint health from bad smartphone habits.
Have a Laugh
Easy Deviled Eggs
Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
Ingredients
• • • • • •
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp milk
•
Salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper, to taste
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp dill weed
• •
12 large eggs, hard-boiled
1/2 tsp fresh chives, minced 1/2 tsp ground mustard
Fresh parsley, minced, and paprika for garnish
Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, parsley flakes, dill, chives, mustard, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well and set aside. 2. Cut eggs lengthwise and remove yolks carefully to preserve egg whites. 3. In a small bowl, mash yolks. 4. Mix mashed yolks with mayonnaise mixture. 5. Spoon or pipe the mixture back into the egg whites. 6. Garnish with fresh parsley and paprika. Refrigerate before serving.
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