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Could technology be causing your pain?

iPhones, gameboys, iPads, Blackberries and tablets are common items on our wish lists to Santa this year. But could these items be causing millions of Americans pain and suffering? Many of us will start the new year with one or more of these gadgets, which make our lives easier because they are portable and can keep us connected via texting, social networks and phone calls. What we didn’t bargain for is the consequences of texting and gaming: headaches and pain in the neck, hand and mid-back.

Flexing the neck downward toward mobile devices such as mobile phones and iPads can, over time, put stress on the muscles, joints and tissues. This position is an unnatural one and can cause the muscles to spasm. It also puts undue stress on the joints of the neck and mid-back. The neck (cervical spine) should have a normal lordosis, or forward curve. Loss of curvature in the neck leads to unwanted and often painful changes such as spinal misalignment, arthritis, nerve root irritation and disc degeneration, including bulges and herniations.

Loss or reversal of the curve is occurring more often now, especially among children and teens, due to the use of gaming devices, iPhones and iPads. To prevent pain and degeneration in young people, parents and medical professionals need to educate them on the importance of correct posture.

Sore and tight muscles, headaches, pain radiating into the arms or hands and weakness in the hands can all result from degenerative changes caused by poor posture. If these symptoms are not addressed and the cause of the problem treated, long-term damage and disorder can result. Here are five simple steps that can prevent and treat cervical degeneration:

1. Stop and look at your posture. Dr. Dean Fishman, D.C., created an “App” called Text Neck for android phones that offers, he says, "immediate, real-time feedback" about your posture. Adjust your posture frequently.
2. Stop and stretch. Do stretches that reverse forward head posture. Every couple of minutes, stop and stretch the muscles in your neck, chest, shoulders, hands and mid-back. It only takes a couple of seconds, but stretching can prevent a lifetime of pain.
3. Stop and breathe. Long, deep breaths provide oxygen to the muscles, which can help prevent spasms.
4. Limit time on mobile devices
5. Get adjusted! Correction of spinal misalignment through chiropractic care can prevent degenerative changes.

Your chiropractor can detect, locate and correct spinal misalignments through chiropractic adjustments. Specific treatments can restore normal motion in the spinal joints, allowing rehabilitative exercises and stretches to re-establish the cervical lordosis. Your chiropractor also can give you recommendations on ergonomics at home and in the workplace to prevent poor posture. Normal motion of the spinal joints must be preserved, otherwise only limited restoration of the cervical curve can occur. Start the new year off right -- get your spine checked by your local chiropractor and prevent a lifetime of pain!

Pari Limbachia is a doctor of chiropractic and certified in acupuncture. Owner of Shànt Wellness and an assistant professor at Palmer College of Chiropractic, she is dedicated to increasing the awareness of natural holistic health solutions in her community by offering chiropractic, acupuncture, massage and yoga at Shànt Wellness. Visit www.shantwellness.com