Learn about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of forward head posture (text neck).
Straight neck syndrome is also called "turtle neck syndrome" or forward head posture, because the neck looks like a turtle's. It is reported to occur often in people who work seated with their necks bent for long periods, and recently it has become common among people who use computers and smartphones for many hours.
- Text neck is a condition caused by an imbalance in the body
- It appears when the body's balance is disturbed
- When the balance of the neck breaks down, pain can spread to the shoulders, arms and even the knees
In the past, injury was a common cause, but as more people use computers and smartphones, the number of patients with this modern condition, caused by holding the head and neck bent forward for long periods, is increasing. A fixed posture stiffens the ligaments, tendons, cartilage and muscles around the bones, eventually leading to various conditions such as text neck.
A typical symptom of text neck is shoulder pain. Tight shoulder muscles cause headaches and easy fatigue, and sleep problems and dizziness may also occur.
The weight of the head is not evenly distributed over the cervical spine, causing pain that spreads to the shoulders and arms
Hand numbness, headaches, chronic fatigue, dizziness and eye strain may occur
Muscle tension can lead to myofascial pain syndrome
Pain may appear in the muscles around the neck
If symptoms are mild, a simple X-ray is enough for diagnosis. If symptoms are severe and there may be damage to joints, muscles, tendons or nerves, an MRI may be needed.
- Viewed from the side, the neck can be seen sticking out in front of the shoulders
- The upper back is often rounded, and shoulder pain also helps with the diagnosis
Text neck is a lifestyle condition caused by poor habits, so corrective treatment, such as maintaining good posture, is important. In most cases, conservative treatment such as exercise therapy, physical therapy and stretching is effective.
In the early stage, it can be treated with posture correction and maintenance, and stretching
In chronic or severe cases, corrective treatment and manual therapy are provided
