Tech Neck

It comes as no surprise that Tech Neck is a common issue; if you look around you’ll see both young and old staring down at their smartphones or glued to their laptops. What may surprise you is this positioning of your neck could be the reason for neck pain. Tech Neck or Text Neck are the terms commonly used when the use of a mobile phone and/or laptop is believed to be the primary cause. ⠀

What is it?
Poor posture due to prolonged periods of looking down at your cell phone in standing or seated positions
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Over time, muscles in front of your neck and chest become increasingly tight due to continued shortening from the “tech neck” position
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Posture begins to be affected resulting in a forward head position where your head rests too far in front of your shoulders. Your thoracic spine (mid-back) begins to become more and more rounded which stresses the joints and lengthens the muscles around your shoulder blades leading to weakness.
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Eventually, this can lead to general neck and shoulder stiffness, while increasing the chance of injury or onset of pain.
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How to combat Tech Neck and prevent the onset of pain/stiffness?
•Set a timer while at work or during prolonged periods of looking down at your phone to check your posture, trying to sit up as tall as you can
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•Pushing your head back behind shoulders, holding for 2-3 seconds ~10x

•Squeezing shoulder blades together and down away from your ears, while also sticking your chest out, holding for 2-3 seconds ~10x

-Dan Foley, PT, DPT