Isn’t that what we used to hear from our parents when we were growing up?
Well, it now seems like it was pretty good advice.
Today, there is an epidemic of impaired posture due to spending way too much time each day on our phones or other electronic devices. We just were not designed to be in this contortion for so many hours each day.
When I first started in practice, in 1980, most of my patients suffered with low back pain. Today, everyone is presenting with neck, upper back and shoulder pain. Some have the pain shooting into their arms. What is happening?
When we are glued to our phones all day, our heads naturally move forward, usually about 3 inches. This delicate machine, we call a body, was not designed to function in this distortion. It’s like driving your car with a misaligned chassis. Eventually, you wear out your tires. In our spines, we wear out the soft cushions in between our spinal bones, called discs. As the discs wear out, more and more pressure is put on the nerve roots and we start to experience pain and stiffness.
If we catch it early, it is reversible. If you live with it long enough, arthritis sets in and it becomes permanent.
In addition to the pain and stiffness, holding your head in this position also leads to:
64% increase in heart attack
Depression
Decreased lung capacity
Contact my office for a free evaluation to rule out this condition, 212-563-2966