Say goodbye to tech neck

People nowadays spend hours watching screens of their smartphones, tablets, and computers, which usually causes stiffness and pain in the neck, and leads to tech neck in the long term. For most white collars who tend to sit in front of the computer the whole day, the situation seems even worse.

So what causes tech neck exactly? The truth is, when you sit and look down at your electronics, the muscles of the back and the neck are both in contraction to support your head. Tiredness and soreness are typical results of such behavior, and if you do that all day, you may have more serious health problems, including neck pain, headaches, and even numbness and tension in your fingers.

That said, the tech neck is mainly caused by poor postures, as the neck is only designed to hold the head upright, and the larger the angle, the bigger amount of stress is added to this area. However, by changing a few habits, the tech neck can be alleviated and even cured as well.

1. 1, Raise the screen higher. If you have a sedentary job, make sure the center of your screens is on the same level as your eyes so that you don’t need to slope your head forward or bend your neck down. As for the arms, you can also rest your elbows on the tabletop to make your arms feel comfortable.
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4. 2, Get up and move frequently. If you have to sit in front of the screen for a long time, you’d better take a break often. Just stand up and move around to get your neck and back in a different position. To adjust your poor posture on the neck, try tucking your chin down and raise it, and turn your head from one shoulder to the other.
5. 3, Sit in a chair with lumbar and neck support. The best status is when you sit, you won’t feel any tension on the neck. Choosing a chair with good lumbar support will help you lean back comfortably during work. 25-30 degrees would be the best, as it keeps your back arched and lessens the weight on the discs.

1. 4, Exercise often. Long-term forward head posture will lead to weakness of certain areas of your body like chest, neck, and upper back muscles. Stretch these muscles often to keep them more capable of supporting the weight of your head. Aerobic exercise, including jogging, swimming, and walking is also recommended. Do it on a regular basis will help ease the tension of the whole body.

Pay attention to any sign that may indicate tech neck, but also try some measurements as above to alleviate early symptoms. If you find all these don’t work for you, it may be time to turn to doctors for professional suggestions.

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