Preventing “tech neck” in a digital age

Chances are, if you look around most public spaces, you will see people of all ages hunched over their favorite device. Living in the digital age has numerous benefits — information is literally at your fingertips — but this modern convenience can cause significant health problems.

“Tech neck” (also known as "text neck") is the posture formed when you lean over your device, and it affects almost everyone who works on a computer or uses a smartphone or tablet. This position stresses the muscles and can cause numbness, neck spasms, joint pain, and other long-term health issues.

Despite these health issues, technology and smart devices aren’t going away any time soon, so it’s best to equip yourself with a few strategies to alleviate tech neck.

First, consider how you sit. According to New York Presbyterian, many people try to sit up straight when working at their desk. Unfortunately, sitting up straight not only puts a lot of pressure on your lower back, but the muscles in the back of the neck, which contract to hold the head up, leaving you with back and neck pain.

Instead, you should recline your chair at a 25-30-degree angle, allowing you to lean back. A chair with good lumbar support will keep your back arched and the muscles in your neck won’t contract to hold up your head.

One of the best methods to ease tech neck is movement. If you work in an office job or in a sedentary position, get up every 30 minutes and walk around. Even if it’s only for a minute or two, the movement will send oxygenated blood to your muscles, which helps to eliminate the chemicals that cause inflammation and pain.

If getting up every 30 minutes seems like too much of an ordeal, consider a standing desk. Standing desks encourage continuous movement throughout the day, encouraging blood flow and reducing muscle stiffness.

Finally, light exercise is one of the best tools in your arsenal to prevent tech neck. Here are a few movements that might work for you. Remember to breathe and move slowly while stretching.

1. Pigeon Neck – To alleviate the compression on your spine, align your head directly over your torso by lifting your chin back and letting your head rest between your shoulders. Hold for three deep breaths.
2. Neck Rotations – Keep your chin parallel to the floor and slowly rotate your head from side to side by turning your gaze to the right and then to the left. Breathe in and out as your turn from side to side. Repeat ten times.
3. Shoulder Rolls – Start by sitting up as tall as you can. Without moving your arms, pull your shoulders up toward your ears and then pull them backwards, before returning to the starting position. Continue to slowly rotate them in a circular direction three times and then reverse.
4. Arrow Pose – In a seated position (a chair with no back or a low back works best), plant your feet on the ground. Interlace your hands behind your back, squeeze your shoulders together, and tilt your head back. Stay in this position for up to two minutes.

Tech neck — to some degree — is seemingly inevitable, but these strategies can reduce the strain on your neck and ease some discomfort.

Source: www.cdc.gov
“How to Prevent ‘Tech Neck’,” NY Presbyterian (https://healthmatters.nyp.org/how-to-prevent-tech-neck/)
“5 stretches that will help ease the pain of tech neck,” The Today Show (https://www.today.com/health/5-stretches-will-help-ease-tech-neck-pain-t208912), February 12, 2021
“4 Exercises to Combat Text Neck,” NBC (https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/4-neck-exercises-will-counteract-effects-texting-ncna840291), January 24, 2018
“Fix Your Forward Head Posture – 3 Exercises to Reverse ‘Tech Neck,’” Yoga Body (https://www.yogabody.com/reverse-tech-neck/)