Habit of Frequent Texting can lead to Text Neck Syndrome

A new obsession has engulfed people these days, i.e frequent texting. Wherever we go, be it office, home or supermarket, we find everyone just looking down at their phones (hunched) and texting. This obsession has not just made people distant from the real world but has also lead to a new health problem called 'Text Neck Syndrome'. This problem has risen tremendously, with people from all age groups being affected by it. Due to this syndrome, a large number of people complain about problems like severe upper back pain, shoulder pain and muscle strain in the neck region. Especially young teenagers are becoming a victim to this problem which in the long run can cause permanent damage to their cervical spine, leading to lifetime neck pain.

Chiari Malformation: A structural defect in the Cerebellum

Chiari Malformation (CM) is a structural defect in the cerebellum, a part of the brain that controls balance. It develops where your skull and neck meets and affect the functions controlled by these areas. In simple words, it is a such a condition where the bony space or part of the skull  is too small that it causes brain tissue to settle in the spinal cord. It can also be caused due to genetic mutations or lack of nutrients in the maternal diet. Some people with CM have no symptoms at all, while others may experience dizziness, numbness, vision problems, headaches, weakness and problems in balancing. The recommended treatment depends on the severity of CM and as mentioned above that some cases are asymptomatic and do not disturb a person’s living or day-to-day activities. But for some, surgery is the only treatment left to correct functional disturbances.

Prevent common Neck Pain

The top 7 vertebral bones of the spinal column that forms the cervical spine are located in the neck region. And since neck region bears the maximum load- weight of the head, facilitates movements and helps in viewing things vertically and horizontally, it is more prone to injuries and pain.The best way to prevent this is to avoid stress, sleep properly and maintain a good posture at all times.

Watch out for stiff neck

Stiff neck has become a very common problem found among working professionals. Stiff neck if accompanied by headache, neck or shoulder pain

moving down to the arms is a sign of cervical spine and should not be ignored.