Tech neck is increasingly common as we spend countless hours hunched over screens. Leaving this strain on our neck muscles can lead to discomfort and pain. Understanding the causes of neck pain and knowing the importance of how to relieve the pain is crucial. So, whether you’re at your desk or on the go, taking a moment to alleviate the pressure on your neck can make a world of difference in your overall well-being. Continue reading to learn more about “tech neck” relief.
The world is still far off from flying cars and boots on Mars, but technology has come a long way in the past century. We’re more connected than ever, as Zoom calls and social media let you interact with people worldwide. And as the pandemic showed, many jobs do not need to be onsite, allowing people to work from the comfort of their own home. Though technology has its perks, the constant engagement of our electronic devices has done no favors for the human body.
Tech neck is a growing phenomenon where people are excessively straining their neck muscles from leaning their head forward and looking down at their devices for long periods of time, says Devin Trachman, an orthopedic physical therapist and clinic director at Physical Therapy Central in Oklahoma.
The average adult head weighs 11 to 13 pounds, and the more you tilt down and lean forward, the more pressure is placed on your neck and spine. A head turned down at a 45-degree angle—a common position for people looking at their phones—is going to place 49 pounds of force on your spine, Trachman told PopSci. Over time, this excess pressure can limit your mobility and cause neck spasms and headaches.
Physical therapists recommend regularly stretching the neck out for a few minutes to combat the uncomfortable side effects of staring at our glowing devices. Yoga poses like cobra, child’s pose, and cat-cow are great for relieving tension in the neck, shoulders, and spine, but if you don’t have the space to get on the floor, there are five stretches you can hold right at your desk or chair.
1. Stare up at the ceiling
The average person spends 3 hours and 15 minutes staring down at their phones. To ease the neck discomfort from staying in that position for so long, try looking up.
Jenny Fritts, a physical therapist at Mercy Medical Center in Maryland, says moving your neck in different directions helps, especially when you spend some time stretching your neck in the opposite position. If you’ve had your head staring down at your phone or computer, this would mean staring up at the sky or ceiling. “I always tell people to act like there are cobwebs on the ceiling or in the corners of the room,” she advises.
2. Smell your armpit
Formally known as the levator scapula stretch, Trachman says this pose relieves tension from the base of your neck down to the top of the shoulder blades. Your left hand leans your head over to your left side. Tilting your head down and gently applying pressure as if trying to put your left ear on your left shoulder. The free right hand will reach over your back where you will apply pressure to try and grab your right shoulder blade. Hold the position for 30 seconds on each side.
3. Give yourself a double chin
A person with good posture can stand up straight with a spine that is not flexing or arching, shoulders pulled back, and with their head directly above the spine. People with tech necks, however, have their heads out of alignment and in a forward position.
Chin tucks are one way of realigning the head and spine, says Trachman. Sitting up nice and tall, look straight ahead and place a finger or two on your chin. Then you’ll slightly move your head back while tilting your chin down “as if you’re giving yourself a double chin,” Trachman describes. Hold the position for a few seconds and do it for at least three repetitions.
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Original article published on popsci.com
