There's no question about it, SMART Technology has changed my life for the better. For starters, I write my blog on my Windows Craptop and keep my iPad handy if I want to pull up an article, photo, email, notes, or Google something as I type on my computer. It pretty much doubles my productivity. Also, the ability to have the internet in our pocket, in a compact phone, was unimaginable 10 years ago.
But like the old saying goes, too much of a good thing can definitely be bad. Especially if you hold your iPad, iPhone, or other SMART device incorrectly when using it for long periods of time. Two major mistakes are (a) holding it in your lap when you're sitting straight up and (b) holding it on your chest when you're lying flat on your back. Both of these mistakes cause your head to crank forward and your neck to be overextended while looking too far down. It also causes a huge muscle imbalance in the neck. The muscles in the back of the neck are constantly stretched during these 2 common faults, while the muscles in the front of the neck are constantly contracted. Here's an analogy for all you weightlifters, it's like holding a bicep curl for an hour straight and never doing any tricep exercises.
Check out Exhibit A below. This guy's spinal cord has a normal/correct curvature to it. Check out how the spine inside his neck goes straight up into the air, then even angles back a slight degree, keeping the head properly balanced directly over the upper body.
But like the old saying goes, too much of a good thing can definitely be bad. Especially if you hold your iPad, iPhone, or other SMART device incorrectly when using it for long periods of time. Two major mistakes are (a) holding it in your lap when you're sitting straight up and (b) holding it on your chest when you're lying flat on your back. Both of these mistakes cause your head to crank forward and your neck to be overextended while looking too far down. It also causes a huge muscle imbalance in the neck. The muscles in the back of the neck are constantly stretched during these 2 common faults, while the muscles in the front of the neck are constantly contracted. Here's an analogy for all you weightlifters, it's like holding a bicep curl for an hour straight and never doing any tricep exercises.
Check out Exhibit A below. This guy's spinal cord has a normal/correct curvature to it. Check out how the spine inside his neck goes straight up into the air, then even angles back a slight degree, keeping the head properly balanced directly over the upper body.
Now check out this unhappy camper, aka Exhibit B. Look at his neck and how it's permantly bowed forward. The spine in his neck is not even close to straight up in the air, let alone bowed backward slightly (like in Exhibit A). His head is in front of his upper body causing unnecessary tension and major neck pain. Finally, he'll never even know the damage he's done to his vertebrae and discs in his spine (neck area) until he gets an x-ray.
Don't think it's a big deal? Take my case for example. I knew I had tension issues in my neck, but I had no idea how serious it was or how dangerous of a path I started down. I also didn't have any neck pain. Until one day, I got rear-ended while sitting at a red light. It's OK, she was only driving a full-size Suburban, and she only hit me twice since she was on her cell phone with her foot on the gas. Anyway, I feel a "How Not To Drive While Distracted" blog topic coming up in the near future. Haha. Bottom line, the car accident led to me getting an x-ray and finding out that that I was in the first stage of Spinal Degeneration in my neck (not related to the accident at all). There are 4 stages of Spinal Degeneration. It happens due to bad habits over time, not a sudden accident. Spinal Degeneration is when the discs between the vertebrae start to erode away and the spine loses it's natural curvature in the neck. I know, sounds fun.
Don't get me wrong, I obviously used to be a huge offender of these two postural flaws. But I've gotten a lot better at avoiding mistakes and overcompensating for them when possible.
In summary, there's nothing I can do to regenerate the discs in the back of my neck. But what I can do to stop the progression of Spinal Degeneration is:
1. Use correct posture as much as possible
2. Avoid overextension of the neck for any significant period of time
3. Overcompensate by laying on my stomach occasionally, while holding my iPad or computer in front of me, instead of on my lap or chest
4. Practice multiple decompression methods to make sure the muscles in my neck are proportionately balanced (examples include foam rolling, static neck stretches, hot yoga, deep muscle massage, Active Release Therapy, etc...)
HSH Athlete of the Week
This week's high speed champ is little Jackson B. He's 3 years old and already starting soccer practice. Check out his serious pre-game face in the truck on the way there.
Don't get me wrong, I obviously used to be a huge offender of these two postural flaws. But I've gotten a lot better at avoiding mistakes and overcompensating for them when possible.
In summary, there's nothing I can do to regenerate the discs in the back of my neck. But what I can do to stop the progression of Spinal Degeneration is:
1. Use correct posture as much as possible
2. Avoid overextension of the neck for any significant period of time
3. Overcompensate by laying on my stomach occasionally, while holding my iPad or computer in front of me, instead of on my lap or chest
4. Practice multiple decompression methods to make sure the muscles in my neck are proportionately balanced (examples include foam rolling, static neck stretches, hot yoga, deep muscle massage, Active Release Therapy, etc...)
HSH Athlete of the Week
This week's high speed champ is little Jackson B. He's 3 years old and already starting soccer practice. Check out his serious pre-game face in the truck on the way there.
And here he is just kickin' it. Don't worry, his dad and mom (Rob and Heather B.) will make sure that headband is snug and won't fall next time! Ballin'!
He can also be found riding in the buggy trailer on the back of his mom's beach cruiser, or frequenting the beach playgrounds located on the VA Beach Oceanfront.
Have a great weekend!
Todd B.
High Speed Health
www.facebook.com/HighSpeedHealth
www.twitter.com/HighSpeedHealth
Have a great weekend!
Todd B.
High Speed Health
www.facebook.com/HighSpeedHealth
www.twitter.com/HighSpeedHealth
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