How to tell if you have Tech Neck?

Just what is 'Tech Neck' & do you have it?

Did you know your head is the heaviest part of your body?

How much time do you spend texting, emailing from your phone or smart device, flicking through social media, or just generally looking down at your smart devices?

Well people around the world are spending more time than ever on their technology devices and in the vast majority of situations we are looking down to use them. Our head is the heaviest part of the body and the muscles and ligaments weren’t designed to hold them for long periods of time.

So if your answer was a lot, or more than you should, then you may be suffering from acute neck pain or stiff shoulders. This is what can be considered ‘Tech Neck’ which is a form of repetitive strain injury that we are seeing in a growing number of clients that we deal with each week.

Most effected are teens and adolescents who are experiencing aggravating muscle pain in their necks, shoulders and occasionally their lower backs. This causes them to be in a lot of pain and they often experience headaches as a result of hunching over their smart devices. Worst still, many aren’t even making their symptoms known and just deal with it, this could have impacts to their physicality later in life.

How to reduce 'Tech Neck' & fix your posture

Most neck pain is about how you load and move through the day, not lasting damage.

I’m going to tell you how to reduce the risk of Tech Neck so you can be pain free, whilst enjoying your smart devices and correcting your posture – all at the same time. So just covering off again that looking down and dropping your head forward changes the natural curve of your spine and neck. Repetitive misalignment causes muscles to strain that causes wear and tear on the structures of your neck.

What can you do if you are already showing the signs and symptoms of Tech Neck?

The first and best thing you can do is improve your posture. What we recommend is using these two simple prevention rules:

1. Look forward and don’t tilt your chin down to look at your smart devices, try moving the device up towards eye level, just like your desktop screen should be.
2. Straighten up – if your posture isn’t perfect, try doing shoulder extensions. Arch your neck and upper back backward, pulling your shoulders into alignment under your ears. This simple stretch can alleviate stress and muscle pain.

If you are experiencing symptoms of Tech Neck, the next step is to book a remedial massage to really get to the root of the problem. We can recommend a series of exercises to help strengthen both your neck and back muscles with a suitable treatment plan if needed which can include a mixture of regular adjustments or a range of exercises dependent on the extent of your injury.

Frequently asked questions

What is tech neck?

Neck and upper-back pain caused by looking down at phones, tablets or laptops for long periods.

What are the signs of tech neck?

Neck stiffness, aching across the shoulders, and headaches that tend to build through the day.

How do I fix tech neck?

Change how you use your devices, take movement breaks, and strengthen the neck and upper back. A physiotherapist can guide it.

Is tech neck permanent?

No. With the right habits and exercises it usually settles.