“Did you know that the human head weighs 8 pounds?” 

Ray Boyd to Jerry in Jerry McGuire 

Probably weighs closer to 10 pounds; the weight of a typical bowling ball.

If you have a bowling ball (or something else that weighs @10#) try picking it up. It always surprises me that my head weighs that much. That my neck can support that much weight. Now try holding the ball way out in front of you, if you are able, for long enough to feel the effect on the rest of your neck and upper body.

I’ve been told the secret to bowling strike after strike is to throw a “hook” to curve the ball just barely off from the center pin. This creates a domino effect that knocks down every pin. This must be true because I saw it on YouTube.

If you are tilting your head down when you read your phone you are also creating a domino effect that leads to increased pressure on the cervical spine. As you tilt your head down that original 10 pounds gets heavier and heavier until it reaches close to effectively 60 pounds of weight on the neck if you are looking straight down at your phone. (Reference from Hansraj, Kenneth. Surgical Technology International, November 2014).

So, next time you are reading a text, consider moving your eyes, instead of your head, to look at your phone while using your arms or a ledge to support the phone.

Julie A. Pauls 4 ATLAS Posture®