Tech NeckModern day neck pain from looking down at cell phones, laptops, and tablets.
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What is Tech Neck?
Looking down at your phone, tablet, or laptop can cause ongoing neck pain. When you hold this tilted, head-forward posture for long periods of time, you may develop a repetitive stress injury or muscle strain. The head can weigh up to 60 pounds when looking down, depending on the angle.
This ailment is commonly referred to as Tech Neck (sometimes called text neck) and can be avoided by changing a few habits.
The symptoms of Tech Neck start subtle: Minor stiffness or pain in your neck, tension in your shoulders, and a general ache in your upper body. It can lead to numbness and tingling in hands and fingers, headaches, difficulty breathing, and even neck wrinkles.
This ailment is commonly referred to as Tech Neck (sometimes called text neck) and can be avoided by changing a few habits.
The symptoms of Tech Neck start subtle: Minor stiffness or pain in your neck, tension in your shoulders, and a general ache in your upper body. It can lead to numbness and tingling in hands and fingers, headaches, difficulty breathing, and even neck wrinkles.
5 Tips to Prevent Tech Neck:
1. Raise Your Screen to Eye Level
Hold your phone or tablet up close to eye level to avoid sloping your head forward or bending your neck down. Your head can weigh up to 60 pounds depending on the angle you are looking down.
2. Take Breaks Often and Move
If you have to look at a screen for an extended period of time, take breaks. Develop a habit of taking a 2- or 3-minute break every half hour, and set an alarm on your phone to remind you. Use these breaks to change your posture and move around, keeping your muscles loose and spine aligned.
3. Strengthen and Stretch Your Muscles
Over time, muscle imbalances can develop due to long-term forward head posture. To prevent these imbalances, it helps to strengthen and stretch your chest, neck, and upper back muscles. Keeping these muscles in good shape helps support the weight of your head and minimize strain on your cervical spine.
4. Change Your Pillow
Don't sleep on a pillow that props your head up too much. Try a pillow that supports your neck but has your head more in alignment with the rest of your body.
5. Get Massage & Cupping Therapy
Massage and Cupping Therapy can do wonders to help relieve muscular pain from Tech Neck. You still need to be preventative with the above steps and add professional massage to help you stay ahead of the troubling symptoms.
Hold your phone or tablet up close to eye level to avoid sloping your head forward or bending your neck down. Your head can weigh up to 60 pounds depending on the angle you are looking down.
2. Take Breaks Often and Move
If you have to look at a screen for an extended period of time, take breaks. Develop a habit of taking a 2- or 3-minute break every half hour, and set an alarm on your phone to remind you. Use these breaks to change your posture and move around, keeping your muscles loose and spine aligned.
3. Strengthen and Stretch Your Muscles
Over time, muscle imbalances can develop due to long-term forward head posture. To prevent these imbalances, it helps to strengthen and stretch your chest, neck, and upper back muscles. Keeping these muscles in good shape helps support the weight of your head and minimize strain on your cervical spine.
4. Change Your Pillow
Don't sleep on a pillow that props your head up too much. Try a pillow that supports your neck but has your head more in alignment with the rest of your body.
5. Get Massage & Cupping Therapy
Massage and Cupping Therapy can do wonders to help relieve muscular pain from Tech Neck. You still need to be preventative with the above steps and add professional massage to help you stay ahead of the troubling symptoms.