Smartphones and PCs have taken over the daily life of modern people, crossing between private life and work environments. As the recent COVID-19 pandemic urges a non-face-to-face system, modern people’s dependence on electronic devices is deepening. According to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the average Internet use time of Korean citizens in 2020, during the outbreak of COVID-19, was 20.1 hours, an increase of 15.5% (2.7 hours) from 17.4 hours in 2019.
The medical community believes that this phenomenon is closely related to the number of cervical disc patients, which exceeds 1 million annually. According to the University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill School of Medicine, “because of the computer’s design, it’s almost inevitably a bad posture when using a computer.”
Bad posture that changes the shape of the cervical spine
The ideal cervical vertebrae (neck vertebrae) has a C-curve shape. However, if you live with your head and body bowed for a long time, the cervical spine is transformed into a ‘turtle neck’ that is inclined forward. The turtle neck not only threatens the safety of the cervical vertebrae, but also encourages the transformation of the back and shoulders into a ’round shoulder’ that is bent forward, which is harmful to the health of the body.
Conversely, it is not good if the cervical spine is too erect. A state in which the cervical vertebrae are deformed in a straight line is called a ‘single neck’. It is a phenomenon that occurs when the muscles attached deep in the front of the cervical vertebrae shorten. A straight neck without a curve is a structure that is difficult to resist the stress applied to the neck.
The biggest cause of the deformation of the shape of the cervical spine is ‘wrong posture’. And smartphones and PCs are considered to be the main causes of poor posture. Hidak exercise counselor Hwang Eun-jin, an exercise expert (Healians Core Exercise Center), said, “Neck disc is caused by various causes such as computers, smartphones, and poor posture.”
If you use electronic devices for a long time, you will unknowingly pull your neck forward. If this posture becomes a habit, the intervertebral discs (discs) between the cervical vertebrae cannot endure and cause musculoskeletal disorders such as disc herniation (neck disc) and spinal stenosis. Furthermore, they are more likely to suffer from lifestyle diseases such as insomnia and dizziness.
Home training to take care of neck health, chin pulling exercise while lying down’
In order to maintain the C-curve of the cervical spine, the muscles distributed in the front and back of the neck must be trained. The chin pulling exercise lying down is ‘home training’ that can strengthen the muscles around the cervical spine with simple movements. Seo Jeong-won, an exercise expert, emphasized, “The lying chin pull exercise, which can be easily performed while lying down at home, is effective in strengthening the neck muscles and in rehabilitation after neck surgery.”
Bring a towel or cushion to support your neck. In the case of a towel, roll it up to a height of about 10cm and put it behind your neck. It is important to lie down while looking at the ceiling and keep your body in a comfortable state with your mouth slightly open. Pull your chin toward your chest as if you are pressing a towel.
It is important to proceed slowly and steadily
Focus on speed rather than intensity. It is better to slowly increase the amount of time you hold the chin in a pulled state. Both shoulders should not be curled and the front of the neck should be pulled only to the extent that it is stiff. Occasionally, you may feel a cold sensation in your neck, so if you do it forcibly, you may get injured.
The most effective way to strengthen the neck muscles is to exercise regularly. The chin pulling exercise lying down is a representative exercise to prevent neck disease before visiting hospital treatment such as surgery or surgery, so it is recommended to make it a habit at home.
Help = Hidak Exercise Consulting Eunjin Hwang (Exercise Specialist at Healance Core Exercise Center), Jeongwon Seo (Exercise Specialist at Healance Core Exercise Center)