Technology is everywhere — and while yes, it’s helpful and convenient and has a million other positives, there is one major negative: tech neck. This phenomenon was not even a thing until recent years, as everyone spends hours upon hours either on their phones, tablets, laptops or desktop computers. Even young children are experiencing tech neck issues due to excessive screen time. Dr. Gena Chiropractic, your favorite family chiropractors in Plantation, has been seeing more and more children coming in complaining of the pain that is associated with tech neck.

Tech neck is a term that refers to the neck pain, stiffness and soreness that occurs because of your head bending forward and down, toward any kind of electronic device, for too long of a time period. Aside from feeling stiff or sore in the neck area, tech neck can also cause headaches, migraines, back and shoulder pain, or sometimes the symptoms can even trickle down into the hands and cause a tingling or numb feeling. 

Prolonged tech neck also has the potential to cause posture problems, which can lead to various other spinal concerns. So, if you are feeling any of the above symptoms, they should not be ignored. A visit to your chiropractor can help reset and realign the spine, alleviating the pain, but it is up to you to adhere to best life practices while at home to prevent tech neck from coming back.

First and foremost, try to pay close attention to your posture as you sit at your desk at your computer or laptop. If you feel yourself start to slouch forward, straighten up. If you realize your chin is so far forward, it’s practically touching your chest, lift your head up. This also applies to using a smartphone or tablet as well. Reposition your device so that it is eye level. This will prevent you from looking down for an extended period of time.

Limiting screen time as much as possible is also helpful, but we know that many people do need to be at a desk all day for work. If that is the case for you, you may want to invest in an ergonomic stand for your laptop or computer. If that is not in your budget, you can also use textbooks, or something equally as thick, to prop your screen or device up to eye level. If you are using a laptop, make sure to get an external keyboard and mouse so you have no issues with propping up your laptop. When your laptop is higher up at eye level, you should not be lifting your arms to use its keyboard. That will cause excess and unnecessary strain on your shoulders.

There are key stretches that can prevent tech neck, and alleviate some of the discomfort you are feeling because of it. Yoga moves like downward facing dog and cat-dog help relieve stress on the back and pelvis. If you slouch a lot, bow pose is a good strengthener and opener for the shoulders. Chin tucks help bring the head and neck back into alignment. This is a back-and-forth movement of the head, not to be confused with the up-and-down movement that brings your chin to your chest. Cobra stretches the back and neck backward, as opposed to the forward position that tends to cause tech neck. As you can see, in general, yoga is a really great remedy for tech neck. When you combine these exercises alongside chiropractic care and ergonomic changes, you’ll set yourself up for your best success in feeling a functioning at your best.

If you are suffering from tech neck, it’s safe to say that you are not alone in the struggle. This condition is far too normal in today’s world, but thankfully, there are many ways to combat its unpleasantness and the potential cause for future health conditions. Schedule an appointment at Dr. Gena Chiropractic for a chiropractic checkup and adjustment, and our team will happily go over a few stretches and exercises that you can do at home to keep tech neck away. Remember, your health is in your hands; our hands are here to help.