Dealing With Tech Neck
Tech Neck Symptoms To Look For 4
Simple Exercises You Can Do To Prevent Tech Neck. 6
Bad Posture Habits That Can Cause Tech Neck. 8
Tech Neck Can Become Painful 10
Here’s How You Can Start To Correct Tech Neck. 14
Are You Suffering From Tech Neck Headaches?. 16
Using Yoga To Treat And Prevent Tech Neck. 18
How To Prevent Tech Neck Wrinkles. 20
What Is Tech Neck?
Imagine that you are working on your computer at your desk, or possibly your laptop at a coffee shop, or maybe your mobile devices like a tablet or smartphone. You have been working for a few hours, getting into the groove and feeling good about your productivity. Then you feel a headache coming on. As you lift your head you realize you also have some neck pain. And, when you stop using your computer or mobile device, you feel a tingling in your fingers. There is no reason to panic as you have just experienced a condition that has become known as “tech neck”.
What Is “Tech Neck”?
As more people use electronic devices for longer periods of time, “tech neck” has become more widespread. It is the neck pain and numbness and tingling in the fingers that occur after using a smartphone or computer for an extended period of time. At one time it was a condition experienced by solely by computer programmers and coders.
This is what is happening: The head, when properly aligned with the neck and looking forward, weighs about 10 pounds. The muscles, bones, and ligaments of the neck are easily holding the head and there is no strain on any part of the neck. As the head is lowered, such as when looking at the smartphone or tablet, the neck is bending forward and the weight it is holding increases. When looking straight down at your phone or tablet, and your chin is close to your chest, your neck is now holding about 60 pounds of weight. This means that the muscles designed to support 10 pounds are now straining to support 60 pounds.
Do You Have “Tech Neck”?
Most people experience symptoms like soreness or stiffness of the neck and shoulders at the end of the day and don’t view it as a problem, mainly because the soreness or stiffness doesn’t happen every day. The problem is that these symptoms can, and do, get worse over time. If you experience a sore neck, headache, or get numbness and tingling of the fingers every day, you should not ignore these symptoms of “tech neck”. The worst case scenario is that these symptoms will progress to you losing strength in your fingers and hands.
When you begin to feel the symptoms, self-massage can and will help decrease the pain and soreness in your neck. More importantly, correct your posture while you are using your mobile devices or laptop. And, limit the time you spend looking down at your devices. If the symptoms are every day and include daily headaches, it is time to seek treatment from a medical professional. Most likely, physical therapy will be prescribed.
Do not ignore “tech neck” because it will not go away on its own. Be proactive and take care of your neck now so you can minimize the amount of time it will take to cure yourself of the issue.
Tech Neck Symptoms
The symptoms of tech neck are easy to identify. It’s important that you catch these symptoms sooner rather than later because they will be much easier to treat and less likely to cause actual damage to your neck. Be mindful of how your neck, shoulders, fingers, and hands feel when you are done using a mobile device or your computer.
Look for these early symptoms:
Soreness at the base of your neck and top of your shoulders.
Numbness of your fingers and a tingling when you set aside the mobile device you are using.
Pain in the neck and shoulders.
The pain occurs only on one side of your body.
Frequent tension muscle headaches. These are the dull pain and tender muscles in the neck, scalp, and shoulders. And you feel pressure on your forehead.
If you have had these symptoms and have ignored them, thinking that they will go away on their own, you may begin experiencing more severe symptoms such as these:
Severe neck pain – as if something is tearing or torn.
Loss of strength in fingers and hands and no amount of massaging or hand exercises will bring the strength back.
The minor symptoms are reasonably easy to address.
Here are some of the things you can do to relieve and stop the pain and soreness.
Side neck stretch. Sit on a chair and extend your right arm down towards the floor, place your left hand on top of your head, elbow pointing out to the side. Using your left hand, gently pull your head to the left while continuing to keep your right arm extended downward. Hold for 20 seconds then do the same for the other side.
Do a chin tuck. Sit on a chair and clasp your hands behind your head. Settle your hips firmly into your seat. Tuck your chin in toward your chest as you use your hands to begin gently pulling your head down until you feel a stretch to the back of your neck and upper back. Hold 20 then slowly release.
Add a new habit of setting aside your mobile device or walking away for 10 minutes, stretching your arms and neck as you move around. This can be done every hour or so and will be very helpful in relieving the pain.
And, finally, you can correct your posture so that you have a better posture when using your mobile devices or computer.
The more severe symptoms will require treatment by a medical professional. After X-rays and tests, including an MRI, is done and it is determined that no physical damage to the neck or muscles has occurred, physical therapy will be the recommended treatment. There is a possibility, though, that actual tearing of muscles or ligaments has occurred. If that is the case, the medical professional will outline a treatment plan that best serves you.
Simple Exercises You Can Do To Prevent Tech Neck
Prevention of “tech neck” is better than treatment any day. If you begin using these tips and exercises now, you can prevent actual damage that will need medical attention. Here are a few tips and exercises you can do to prevent “tech neck”:
Walk away. Really. Put down your mobile device, walk away from the laptop or desktop and go for a walk. Or stretch your arms and legs to release the tension. It would be a great time to go for a 15-minute walk around the house, the park, the parking lot. If you have a favorite exercise like yoga or hula hoop, do it.
Skincare. Just as you take care of your face with moisturizers and cleansers, do the same with your neck. Neck skin is delicate and two times thinner than the skin on your face. This is why neck wrinkles will happen before facial wrinkles will. And, “tech neck” certainly contributes to wrinkles on the neck. So, take care of your neck as you do your face.
Stop resting your chin on your hands. When looking at your laptop or desktop monitor, resting your chin on your hands leads to stretching the skin around your neck. The same is true when you bend your neck to hold your phone while taking phones calls. Use headphones, prevent wrinkles.
Side stretch neck exercise. Place four of your right-hand fingers on the left side of your forehead, and then place your left hand on your shoulder. With your right elbow parallel to the floor, gently pull your head to the right and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Tilt stretch neck exercise. You will need a hand towel. Hold the ends of the towel in each hand, wrap the middle of the towel around the back of your head, gently pull your head down and use your neck muscles to resist. Repeat 8 times. Do this gently and slowly.
Neck and hand stretch. Stand with your feet in line with your hips. Put the palm of your hand against the side of your head. Your elbow is in line with your shoulder and your upper arm is in line with the floor. Standing straight, gently push the palm of your hand against your head, pushing your head toward your shoulder. You will feel a gentle stretch in your neck. Hold for 10 seconds, and then slowly return to the starting position and switch sides. This should be painful – if it is, you are pushing too hard or holding longer than 10 seconds.
Do these tips and exercises now and you will not only prevent “tech neck” but you will develop a healthy physical routine that will benefit your mind and body for years to come.
Bad Posture Habits That Can Cause Tech Neck
Your posture, the position you hold your body when standing or sitting, will determine your long-term back and neck health. Low back pain, rounded shoulders, shoulder pain, neck pain, and ultimately “tech neck” are all a result of poor posture.
For “tech neck” the most obvious posture issues are slumped shoulders and looking down at your phone with your chin just an inch or so away from your chest. While these sound harmless, they are in fact not. In reality, the “tech neck” of stiff, sore, and slightly painful neck muscles and tired shoulder muscles also affect the rest of the body and muscle groups.
Poor, or bad, posture is the result of muscle and skeletal distortions in the neck, and lower and upper back. Most people think of poor posture as simply slumping over, but that is not necessarily the case. While it is true that “tech neck” is caused by this slumping, other signs of poor posture include a bit of a pot belly, soreness in the hip area because slumping of the back puts pressure on the hip joints. Sitting at your computer with slumped shoulders and curve back is definitely poor posture. Looking down at your phone or mobile device with your chin just an inch or so away from your chest is definitely poor posture.
How To Improve Your Posture
Begin with understanding that when the back and neck and hips are aligned correctly, you are sitting and walking in a healthy manner. When you have good posture while using your mobile device, computer or laptop, you will feel less tired and you will greatly reduce the likelihood of having “tech neck”.
Some things you can do to improve your posture:
Think string. Imagine that you have a string coming from the top of your head that is pulling you gently up, toward the ceiling.
Have someone tape an X on your back from shoulder to opposite hip. Then close the top of the X with a straight line of tape across your shoulders. Wear this during the day. You will become aware of how you sit, stand, and walk throughout the day and can begin retraining yourself so that you have better posture.
Avoid the slouch. Imagine that you have a book on the top of your head and that you must keep that book balanced. Do this while using your mobile devices, computer, and laptop and you will prevent the soreness that comes from “tech neck”.
Sit up straight. Align your back with the back of the chair. This will help you avoid slouching or leaning forward.
Take standing breaks. Stand up and stretch, walk around, do a little exercise, or just stand there for a few minutes. Your body was not designed to sit all day.
Tech Neck Can Become Painful
Does this sound like you?
You use a smartphone or tablet a lot. Every day. Sometimes for a few hours or more each time you use them. Maybe you’re texting friends or business associates. Maybe you’re browsing the internet looking for great deals. Maybe you’re exploring new apps. Or maybe you’re using an app to read a book or document. A few hours have passed and you notice a bit of pain behind your eyes. You look away from your device and realize that you have a small headache. Then you raise your head. That’s when you feel the soreness and stiffness. You set aside your phone or tablet and begin to massage your neck as you look up and stretch a bit. When you feel relief, you pick up your phone or tablet and get back to doing what you were doing.
If this is you, then be very careful. The small soreness and headaches will become much more painful and other symptoms will appear.
The headache will become unbearable. It will begin at the back of your head and settle behind your eyes and will distract you to the point of not being able to concentrate. You can take aspirin or a pain reliever, but it will be a temporary fix.
The pain the neck will be more than just a bit of soreness that a hand massage or stretch can relieve. It will become a hot pain that doesn’t go away with a simple massage or even through various stretching techniques. It will actually become more painful as you attempt to stretch it away.
Your upper back, between your shoulders, will feel very sore and that soreness won’t be relieved with anything less than a deep massage or physical therapy.
The small of your back will be sore throughout the day, whether you’re on your mobile device or not. Trying to relieve the soreness with a lumbar support or pillow or heating pad may work, but it won’t make the pain go away.
Another symptom of “tech neck” you aren’t likely prepared for is the numbness and tingling of your fingers. The kind of numbness that really doesn’t go away even after you’ve stopped using your mobile device, massaged and stretched your fingers. This lead directly to loss of strength. Not enough that you can’t hold your mobile device, but enough to not be able to open jars or move stacks of books on your desk. It will be noticeable.
Prevention begins with awareness. Now that you know what is causing the pain you are experiencing, you can take action to stop it from becoming worse.
Is Tech Neck Reversible?
Tech neck is simply the soreness you feel in your neck when you’ve spent too much time looking down at your mobile device. More than just soreness, you may be experiencing actual pain in your neck and upper back. It’s become more common now that smartphones and tablets are used by more people around the world. The soreness and pain can become chronic if not treated, and sometimes require the help of a medical professional and physical therapy.
It can be reversed!
Before it becomes medically necessary to feel relief, you can do a few things yourself to reverse “tech-neck” and the symptoms. These include:
Limit your device usage. It really is that simple. Be aware of how much time you’ve been spending on your device and make a point of setting it aside for a few hours.
Take micro-breaks. Set an alarm on your device for every hour and when it goes off, set the device down and walk away. Take a micro-break of 1-2 minutes. Stretch your body and give your neck a break.
Bruegger’s. This is an exercise you can do during each break you take. Sit at the edge of your seat. Spread your legs hip wide and turn your feet out at a 45-degree angle. Let your arms hang loosely at your side. Have your palms facing forward. Sit up straight in a neutral position (neither leaning forward or backward). Tilt your head back so it is directly over your shoulders (align your head with your neck with your spine). Take 5 deep breaths, slowly inhaling and slowly exhaling. Repeat as needed. Doing this every hour for 1-2 minutes should provide great relief. Make it a habit and you should stop the “tech neck” symptoms.
Neck stretches. Start by relaxing your shoulders and lightly holding on to your thighs or your chair. Tilt your head toward your left shoulder and hold for 15 seconds. Use your hand to gently pull your head toward your shoulder. Let the weight of your head stretch your muscles. Repeat 2 to 4 times toward each shoulder.
Diagonal neck stretch. Turn your head in the direction toward your right. Tilt your head down toward your chest while on a diagonal and hold for 15 seconds. Keep your breathing steady. Do the same as you look toward your left. Repeat 2 to 4 times each side.
Use a Cervical Roll. The neck naturally has a C-shaped curve and it can be flattened or reversed by “tech neck”. A cervical roll is a simple way to get the curve back. Take a small hand towel and roll it lengthwise. Rubber band or tape it to keep the roll tight. Lay on your back on a flat surface and place the roll at the base of your neck. Don’t put it under your head. Relax and rest on the roll for 15 minutes a day.
Get adjusted. Chiropractic adjustments help restore normal joint and skeletal functions, relieving and eliminating muscle tension. Getting a neck adjustment is a simple treatment that will help reverse the effects of “tech neck”.
Here’s How You Can Start To Correct Tech Neck
What is “tech neck”?
“Tech neck” is the neck pain and numbness and tingling in the fingers that occur after using a smartphone or computer for an extended period of time. Additional symptoms include headaches and upper back pain.
How does it happen?
The head, when properly aligned with the neck and looking forward, weighs about 10 pounds. The muscles and bones of the neck are easily holding the head and there is no strain on any part of the neck. As you lower your head, such as when looking at the smartphone or tablet, your neck is bending forward and the weight it is holding increases. When looking straight down at your phone or tablet, and your chin is close to your chest, your neck is now holding about 60 pounds of weight. This means that the muscles designed to support 10 pounds are now straining to support 60 pounds.
You can correct “tech neck” with stretches and prevent it by changing some of your current habits when using mobile devices.
Get a pillow. There are neck pillows that you can use to help keep your neck in proper alignment with your body. They look like the travel pillows you may be familiar with – a U or C shaped pillow with more padding at the base of the neck. Used while you’re using your mobile device it will help keep your neck aligned with your body. Used for sleeping, it will help keep your neck in the shape it is meant to be. Either way, relieving the stress and tension will help.
Use a Cervical Roll. The neck, when properly aligned, has a C-shaped curve. It can be flattened or reversed by “tech neck”. A simple way to get the curve back is to use a cervical roll. Take a small hand towel and roll it lengthwise. Rubber band or tape it to keep the roll tight. Lay on your back on a flat surface and place the roll at the base of your neck. Relax and rest on the roll for 15 minutes a day.
Take micro-breaks. Set an alarm on your device for every hour and when it goes off, set the device down and walk away. If you’re sitting, then stand up and stretch your body. Take a break of 1-2 minutes. Stretch your body and give your neck a break. Make this a part of your daily routine.
Neck stretches. Start by relaxing your shoulders and lightly lay your hands on your thighs. Tilt your head toward your left shoulder and hold for 15 seconds. Use your hand to gently pull your head toward your shoulder. Let the weight of your head stretch your muscles. Repeat 2 to 4 times toward each shoulder.
A bit of prevention now will correct any issues you are having with “tech neck”.
Are You Suffering From Tech Neck Headaches?
A headache is a headache, right?
Did you know that there are 150 types of headaches? They include tension-type headaches, migraines, cluster headaches, sinus headaches, and hormone headaches with each having a list of causes and treatments that work specifically for that type of a headache.
Tension-type headaches are the most common type of a headache among adults and teens. They cause mild to moderate pain and come and go over time and usually have no other symptoms.
Migraines are often, but not always, intense headaches and are described as pounding throbbing pain. They happen often, anywhere from one to four times a month. With the pain there are other symptoms such as sensitivity to light, noise, or smells; nausea and/or vomiting; loss of appetite; and upset stomach or belly pain.
Cluster headaches are intense and feel like a burning or piercing pain behind or around one eye. On the side of the pain the eyelid droops, the eye reddens, the pupil gets smaller. They tend to happen in groups with people getting them one to three times per day with each headache lasting 15 minutes to 3 hours.
So what is a “tech neck” headache?
“Tech neck” headache falls under the tension headache and is reasonably easy to deal with. The cause of “tech neck” headaches is the strain being placed on the neck muscles as you bend your head forward to look at your mobile device. The headache begins as a dull, aching head pain with a sensation of tightness or pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head, and there may be tenderness on your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles.
Why do these headaches occur?
According to Kenneth K. Hansraj, MD, chief of spine surgery at New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitative Medicine, they happen because of the strain on your neck as you bend your head forward to view your mobile device. When your spine is in a neutral position, with the head aligned with neck and aligned with your spine, the head weighs about 10 pounds. At 15 degrees forward, the neck is now holding 27 pounds. At 45 degrees, it is holding 49 pounds, and at 60 degrees it is holding 60 pounds. That is 60 pounds of weight held by the neck muscles that are meant to hold 10 pounds. That much of a load can do a lot of damage over time.
If you are experiencing neck soreness with headaches while using your mobile device, now is a good time to take notice and begin taking breaks from your smartphone or tablet. And, to prevent these types of headaches, be aware of your posture, sit or stand straight with your shoulders back while you use your phone.
Using Yoga To Treat And Prevent Tech Neck
“Tech neck” is a series of aches, pains, and stiffness in the shoulders and neck after working on a smartphone or tablet. It happens because the posture in the upper back and shoulders are hunched forward for long periods of time. Include the chin being just a few inches from the chest and you can see why the muscles in the neck and shoulders feel strained.
Yoga can help counteract these painful symptoms. Here are a few poses to get you started (after you’ve set aside your smartphone or tablet):
Forward Fold With Clasp
- Stand, clasp hands behind back, and inhale deeply to open the chest.
- On the exhale, relax the knees and fold forward, letting your head fall toward the ground and gently releasing the neck.
- If you feel comfortable, bend one knee and then the other, getting more into shoulders.
- Turn head right to left to release neck. Stay here for 5 to 10 deep breaths.
Throat Lock
- Kneel with hands lightly resting on thighs.
- Lift sternum and drop chin lightly, lifting through the top back of the skull as if someone had a string on the back of your neck and was lifting you up.
- Lengthen through the back of the neck and keep shoulders down.
- Breathe here for 5 to 10 deep breaths.
Camel Pose
- Begin in a kneeling position with hips over and lined up with knees, and weight supported by shins and the tops of feet.
- Place palms on the lower back, on the triangular bone the two hip bones of the pelvis, draw elbows into one another so that they aren’t winged out.
- Keep thighs pulled inward and pull shoulder blades toward one another and down back. Look to the ceiling as you lift chest upward.
- Release hands to heels and arch spine. Tip head back to keep the whole spine in extension.
- Breathe here for at least 5 deep breaths.
Tips as you get started on the yoga sequence above:
Coordinate your breath with each movement. It should help you feel the movement in your spine, not hinder you or be the entire focus of your attention.
Don’t overdo any of the poses. Be sure that they serve you, not challenge you. Your goal is to use them as a tool to help you release the tension in your back and neck and to treat and prevent “tech neck”.
How To Prevent Tech Neck Wrinkles
“Tech neck” is the pain and wrinkles that affect your neck thanks to all the time spent on the phone and computer. As you bend your neck to use the phone, tablet, laptop, or other mobile device creased in the neck form and deepen over time.
Though neck wrinkles are normal as you age, they occur earlier when you have bad posture while using technology. The wrinkles appear because the skin on the neck is thinner than the skin on your face. More like the skin around your eyes and this means that when you lean your head forward you are stretching the skin on your neck. The skin doesn’t bounce back and tends to crease.
To prevent these wrinkles from appearing, it is necessary that we have good posture while sitting and standing. In addition, we should be very careful to be actively in good posture while using our mobile devices. This means that our head it to be aligned with our neck which is aligned with our spine. Push the chest forward a bit, lift the chin so that is it parallel to the ground and straighten the back so that the shoulder blades are slightly in line with the hips. You will feel the muscles in your back and neck ease as you slip into a good posture. Now the trick is to keep that good posture throughout the day. Slouching, hunching over mobile devices, and leaning your head forward so that your chin is an inch or so away from your chest will increase the neck wrinkles and muscle tension in your body.
If you currently have neck wrinkles, improve your posture now to prevent them from getting worse. And, know that there are a number of ways to reduce these wrinkles, with lasers and injectables like Botox being a few. A less expensive and easier way is to have a proper skincare routine. A good routine would be to gently exfoliate your neck and upper chest area once a week, followed by a moisturizing mask and a retinol serum, then finished off with a targeted cream made specifically for the neck. Interestingly enough, the way we apply the products can make a difference. It is recommended that we begin at the upper chest, work our way up to the jawline with two hands in a firm upward motion, all the way to the back of the neck. This way we get all of the neck skin.