5. Don’t wreck your neck!

“Tech neck.” “Text neck.” “Facebook posture.” “Bad smartphone posture.” It’s official. We’re spending 2 to 4 hours a day (or even more!) on our phones and other devices, and this is causing not only temporary muscle tension, headaches, neck, jaw and back pain, but actual injury to the cervical spine.

“Tech neck syndrome” is an overuse syndrome involving the head, neck, and shoulders. The official name is “Forward Head Position” (FHP) Your head, which weighs 10 to 12 pounds, is designed to balance on the top of your spine. Constantly tipping your head forward to text, type or read pulls it OUT of balance and strains the supporting muscles of your neck and upper back, and can cause your head to feel up to 49 pounds heavier (according to Dr. Kenneth Hansraj in “Surgical Technology International”). This, in turn, shifts your center of gravity and your upper back hunches back to compensate. And then, to compensate for this upper body shift, the hips and pelvis tilt forward.

Are you wondering if you have this common syndrome? Do you have muscle tension in your neck, shoulders, or back? Do you experience stress or tension headaches? Do you have back, shoulder, neck, arm or wrist pain? Do you have any jaw problems? How about fatigue or low overall energy? Do you have a limited range of motion in your neck? These may seem bad enough, but Forward Head Position can lead to permanent damage to your cervical vertebrae or discs as well as irreversible arthritic degeneration!

Make a change! If you suspect that you have FHP, take action NOW! Don’t assume that if “it’s not too bad yet” you have nothing to worry about. Taking corrective action early enough can reverse the problem and prevent permanent damage.

Keep your head UP!

• Bring your device UP to eye level, and support your arm with the other hand, a table top, an armrest, etc.
• Or use a tablet holder, a pillow, or another tool to bring your device up.
• Keep your neck straight – don’t tilt your head – and use your eyes to look down.

Listen to your body!

• Hold your device properly: keep your wrists straight and don’t grip tightly.
• Pay attention to what your body is telling you. If you experience pain, immediately STOP using your device! Just put it down! When the pain is completely gone, your may pick it up again, but do it differently this time!

TIP: Exercise! Keeping your back strong and flexible will help you body better tolerate and recover from muscle tension.

Cut your time!

• Limit the amount of time you use a handheld device. If you have a lot of e-mails to answer or need to do some research, use your laptop or get a separate keyboard for your tablet. And be sure to use good keyboarding posture! (See Blog 4, “Make your workplace work for you!”)
• Take a break every 10 minutes at least. Put your phone down and move your head, arms, back and shoulders for a few minutes before picking it back up. A “winning” or “open” position is a great way to release muscles that have been hunched forward for too long! Throw your arms up, arch your back and stretch!

Restore your neck!

• Apply moist heat at the end of the day to reduce muscle spasms and decrease pain.
• Stretch your neck: You can do this multiple times each day – even at stoplights! Relax your shoulders and tilt your head to the right, allowing it to stretch for at least 10 seconds. You can add slight pressure by placing your right hand on the left side of your head and just adding a little weight – do not press down! Do this on both sides, at least three times. Then straighten your head, look ahead, and turn slowly to the right as far as you can, keeping your chin parallel to the ground. Try to look behind you. Do this on both sides, at least three times.

Invest in your neck!

Manufacturers are aware of the “tech neck” epidemic and are rapidly creating products that support good posture when using tablets, phones, and other devices.

You can buy glasses that reflect at 90 degrees, so you can keep your head up and read a device on your lap or the table in front of you. There are also covers, stands, neck straps, pillows and other tools that will raise your device to eye level. And you can even find bed stands, so you can read while lying on your back in bed! Consider investing in one of these tools to promote a healthy neck and decrease your likelihood of FHP.

TIP: IF changing your posture, stretching, and reducing the time you spend on your device are not enough to relieve your FHP, consider making an appointment with a chiropractor or a Rolf Method practitioner. (See my website tab about the Rolf “method” to learn more.) We may be able to reverse the damage done to your neck and spine!