The Dangers of Tech Neck

Notice how your neck seems to seize up, with pain shooting up into the back of your skull and down into your spine? It might not just be stress or your boss looming over your shoulder — for more and more Americans, “tech neck” is a very real ailment.

Fortunately, the team at One Accord Physical Therapy has a range of treatment options designed to relieve your neck pain and put you back in the comfort zone.

What causes ‘tech neck’?

Tech neck, also known as “text neck,” is pain resulting from compression of the nerves at the back of the neck where the spine tapers to connect with the skull. This can cause significant pain and stiffness in the neck, strain and pain in the shoulders, and headaches. It’s estimated that 1 of 10 people is suffering from tech neck at any given time.

The cause of tech neck is poor posture, typically as a result of being in a seated position with your head tipped forward and chin down. This posture is often present when you’re looking down at a phone, tablet, laptop, or other technological device, which is why it’s called tech neck.

The human skull weighs about 10-12 pounds, and your nerves and muscles are designed to support that weight. But your body is built to support your head when you’re upright and looking forward. When you incline your head forward, every degree of angle forward and down adds weight — enough so that a 60-degree incline has the effect of a 60-pound weight hanging from your neck.

The dangers of tech neck

Over time, the amount of pressure being exerted on the upper spine can cause serious damage. A disc may slip or herniate, nerves can become pinched, and inflammation can set in. If the position of the neck isn’t corrected, enough damage may occur that pain may become constant, and repair difficult.

How can tech neck be cured?

Treatment for tech neck revolves around correcting posture and relieving pressure. At One Accord Physical Therapy, we focus on education and patient-involved treatment planning to help you break bad posture habits. We also carefully work on your neck using manual therapies to help straighten your spine, decompress the nerves, and strengthen your neck muscles so your head can be properly supported without undue strain or pain.

If you’re ready to get rid of neck pain safely and naturally, call the office nearest you for an appointment, schedule a free telephone consult with one of our specialists, or ask about a complimentary 30-minute discovery session.