How to Relieve Tech Neck
In the age of technology, many people find themselves with constant neck pain.
Even young children are experiencing these pesky aches and pains on a daily basis. So what is going on? Why does everyone seem to have the same issue?
The answer is in the first sentence: technology. While technology has been used for advancing the medical field, studying our galaxy, and much more, tech can affect our bodies in negative ways.
So, what is tech neck? According to Health Matters, tech neck is “the act of stressing muscles while using phones, tablets, and computers, resulting in neck and shoulder pain, stiffness, and soreness.” Every degree you head tilts forward puts stress on the muscles in your neck. Your head is surprisingly heavy, around ten pounds to be exact! The muscles in your neck aren’t meant to hold that amount of weight for extended periods of time, resulting in soreness, headaches, stiffness, and numbness and tingling in the hands and arms.
Now, tech neck isn’t life or death, but it is an annoying hindrance on our daily lives. In fact, while reading this, you probably took note of your posture and corrected it! Tech neck is fortunately something that can be solved with some posture correction, at-home exercises, and orthopedic physical therapy. So what at-home exercises can be performed to help deal with tech neck?
Posture Correction
Posture, especially while using phones, tablets, and laptops, can easily be corrected. Instead of texting in your lap, hold your devices up at eye level. This will prevent you from tilting your head downward and strainging your neck muscles.
Don’t be afraid to take frequent breaks from technology too. Get up, stretch, and take time to reevaluate your posture. Arch your neck backward and pull your shoulders back to return to a neutral position.
Simple exercises
There are a few exercises you can practice by yourself to help relieve the pain of tech neck.
Chin tuck- Sit with good posture and touch your finger to your chin. While keeping your finger where it is, retract your chin and keep your gaze leveled. Hold for two seconds and then return to the original position. Repeat ten times in two sets twice a day.
Scapular retractions- Simply draw your shoulders back and downward, holding for one second and then releasing. Repeat ten times in two sets twice a day.
Massage
While you can massage your neck at home, treating yourself to a neck massage will help to really relax those tight muscles. While massage isn’t a permanent solution, it can provide much relief and can definitely help if performed over a long period of time.
As a physical therapy company, of course we would recommend physical therapy for your tech neck aches and pains. However, we know that many temporary solutions are only surface level, but physical therapy helps to get to the root of the tech neck pain and correct it over time with a series of varied exercises and techniques.
So, take a moment and correct your posture again, and head over to our ‘Services and Treatments’ tab to set up an appointment and see how we can help you correct your tech neck.
