Are Facebook and Twitter bad for my back

It has caught up to us. The ubiquity of smartphones, tablets and the boom of technological advances we’ve made are associated with a hefty sacrifice of prolonged sitting and lack of movement.

A recent study by the British Chiropractic Association revealed how 65% of people ages 16-34 complained of neck and back pain due to their sedentary lifestyle. Within this group, 28% experienced the pain for more than a month. The prevalence of these complaints does not just stem from extended time on social media sites.  The researchers found that 40% of the people in the study are sitting for majority of time at their respective jobs and 32% said extended periods of sitting can trigger back pain.  Majority of the participants (68%) said the bouts of neck and back pain had affected their ability to sleep or exercise.  22% said their pain affected their social activities.

Despite these statistics, 39% of the young people in this study had not visited a doctor for their symptoms.  It is important to note that ignoring these initial symptoms may lead to ongoing neck and back problems later in life. Proper early chiropractic adjustments and individualized exercise program could relieve the complaints and prevent chronic conditions from developing. 

On a side note, prolonged sitting at work or at play (engaging in social networking sites or playing games), may be felt more or even hinder healing if you are rehabilitating an injury.  Imagine having to work with an injured neck or back.

Imagine having your back injured at work or your neck injured in an auto accident.  Prolonged sitting combined with improper postures would have a detrimental effect on proper healing. Postural modifications are often a necessity to discuss with patients, and when addressed, it has the potential to decrease flare-ups and prevent re-injury.

 Yours in Health,

Ashkan Aazami, DC

Total Health Family Clinic (Chiropractic and Physical Therapy)

Offices in Landover Hills, Rockville, and District Heights, MD