Are We Physically Abused by the Technology?

Table of Content

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Event with a renowned neurologist on health deteriorating effects of over usage of technology.

Lahore; Punjab: Sensing the increasing pain of society inflicted by over usage of hand-held gadgets Marham hosted an event with a US board-certified neurologist Dr. Farrukh Ali Chaudhary to share his research about tech neck trauma.

With the advent of technology and increase in the use of hand-held devices this dangerous physical condition has originated which is caused by cervical spinal degeneration due to the frequent stress of forwarding flexion of the neck and downward bending of the head to look over these gadgets.

While tech neck trauma may seem as a new medical term its circle of influence is vast impacting millions and has become a growing global concern. 80% of world’s population uses hand-held electronic gadgets and hunching over these devices is a common practice. The problem arises due to the inability of neck muscles to support increased weight because of head-bending downwards. Normal weight of the head is 12 to 15 pounds and it multiplies to five times of its original weight when the head is bent downwards at an angle of 60 degrees. Frequent and prolonged bending and flexion lead to alterations in cervical spine, ligaments, tendons, musculature and bony structures. Tech neck trauma may manifest itself in the form of following symptoms:

Neck pain
Headache
Loss of balance
Lack of concentration
Irritability
Pressure on head and eyes
Lack of energy
Stiffness in arms and legs
Decrease in dexterity

Remedies

Compared to its severity a few very simple steps can help out of this painful condition. These include

Exercise

By doing simple upper body stretching muscle tenderness can be relieved. Exercises targeting neck muscle stretching and movement to different directions are of great help.

Food

Presence of nutritional deficiencies can add to any ailment. Make sure your diet comprises of good quality protein, calcium, vitamin D and all other essential nutrients to support healthy bones and musculature.

Massage

Gentle massage of affected areas can help release tension and discomfort. Caution should be taken regarding traumatizing pressure and moves. Overdoing this can lead to tear in muscles and increase in suffering.

Medical attention

Following above-mentioned steps lot of people can treat themselves. Only 5 to 10% of people suffering from tech neck trauma need proper medical attention.

Due to wrong diagnosis and symptomatic approach of treatment lot of people can end up using painkillers, muscle relaxants and anti-depressants none of these can treat the root cause-tech neck trauma. In such severe cases, the patient needs to visit a neurologist to properly address and resolve the issue by using special techniques to relieve pressure and spasticity of muscles and nerves. With effective treatment, symptoms start to improve within 1 to 2 days and patients start to feel better.

Tech neck trauma is debilitating but can be easily avoided by following aforementioned steps and watching daily usage of gadgets. Educating masses about this issue can greatly help society to avoid and resolve this problem on their own.