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You see it every day. In fact, if you look around the mall, public transit, even the office, you can probably spot it right now. People with shoulders hunched forward, neck straining at an awkward angle, squinting at their screen, thumbs moving rapidly as they type away.
It is a new posture, gaining popularity in recent years with the rise in Americans’ attachment to our cell phones. Whether you are the type who is constantly checking social media, that employee who cannot seem to stop replying to work emails (even on vacation), or the sports enthusiast who needs to check the score of the game every other minute, we are all guilty of moving into this position, often without even realizing we are doing so.
The more you strain your neck forward to check your screen, the more susceptible you become to chronic neck pain. As you respond to that Facebook invitation for a friend’s party next week, or type out an email to a colleague, you are positioning your neck at an unnatural angle. When it is positioned this way for a lengthy amount of time, it causes muscle strain and pain.
On top of this, phones require you to hunch your shoulders over as you scan the screen, and this causes the neck to move into an odd angle resulting in strain to the entire upper body.
Tech neck is not a comfortable or attractive look on anyone. While we understand that cell phones and other electronic devices are a necessary part of day-to-day life for most people in today’s society, there are some tips that can help alleviate this strain and prevent long-term issues:
On top of these tips, the following stretches and exercises can help relieve pain and prevent more serious health issues resulting from tech neck.
As a final piece of advice, try putting your cell phone out of sight from time to time. If you leave for lunch, keep it in your desk. When you get home from work, turn it off or keep it in your work bag with the sound off. There is no need to constantly be attached to your device – and your neck will thank you for this later.
