Welcome back. This course is called taking control of text neck, a digital age epidemic. And the incidence is only going to continue to grow as people spend more and more time on their devices working and playing and socializing on apps, social media, using programs to do work, where they're coming to and from work etc. We are always on our phone. Some estimates say that adults use their mobile devices for five to six hours a day. And this is above and beyond how much they use their actual computer at work.

This is the in between time this is when they're off work. This is before bed and right when they wake up five to six extra hours a day in a compromised postural condition. No some estimates say that younger generations including high school and college age use their devices for eight to nine hours a day. So very, very involved with social media, and even doing research and homework and odds and ends everything from their phone. The time that we're spending attached to our mobile devices is only expanding as technology expands social and business expectation to always be readily available to answer emails and messages right away to post everything that you're doing on social media. This is increasing by hours and hours a day, our mobile device and technology usage and putting our bodies in, quite honestly a posture that it's not made to be in.

So what is the problem with being in this posture for so long every day while holding eye watches and tablets and E readers? And personal gaming consoles in front of us while tilting our head down to view them actually transforms our natural posture into a very contorted posture, that over taxes the muscles of the neck. The problem becomes easy to see if you think about it this way. Experts say that every inch that the head moves forward over its natural position in the spine, the weight of the head actually doubles. So the head weighs naturally in its correct position. It weighs 10 to 12 pounds.

So think about doubling that every inch. The head moves forward to read or view a device and how many hours a day are spent in that position. Combine the extra weight of the head with the fine ultra repetitive movements of the Hands, the wrists, the thumbs, and it's a recipe for disaster over time. This creates painful conditions in and around the neck, some chronic some short term, it creates fatigue. It creates headaches, migraines, nerve pain and discomfort down the arms, decreased range of motion, and a sense of being tired and worn out all the time. There are many, many more symptoms and chronic issues that tech or text net can create and we'll talk about them we'll discuss them later on in the course.

Many doctors are actually seeing even younger generations come in with severe neck issues herniations bone damage, nerve issues as well and they're wondering if while the spine is still Developing, if this is going to have an even greater effect on the next generation, poor posture over any amount of time will create dysfunction. Form always follows function your body will try to adapt to whatever it is your behavior is. So all of us are at risk. Because the norm now there our daily functioning includes things like setting up appointments on our iPad, or attending virtual meetings on our iPhone, building presentations on a small device or even looking at multiple screens at work. I see a lot of issues with this as well. Posting and replying to handfuls of social media while you're trying to multitask and do other things.

All of these are having an effect not only on our physical makeup, our physical being, but also on are mental expression on our intelligence on how we relate to other people and how we get work done. Studies have shown that most people the average person today actually holds their head forward at an angle that makes it weigh 60 pounds, six zero pounds. That's how much weight our neck muscles are trying to support. As our body works tirelessly to pull our head back in space and create homeostasis, the chest, the shoulders, the upper back, all of the muscles around the upper torso come into play as they try to redistribute the weight. So nothing is working so efficiently anymore. Nothing is working in its ideal state.