Tech neck is a pain in more than just the neck

The typical average adult head weighs approximately 10-12 pounds. But did you know that bending it forward at a 45-degree angle to look at a cellphone or tablet can dramatically increase your chances to have "tech neck?"

"That's like having an 8-pound bowling ball as your head. Then you have 72 pounds at your elbow and 96 pounds on your shoulder," says Brian Langenhorst, industrial and ergonomics specialist at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse. "I probably see tech neck on a weekly basis at businesses, schools and industry."

Tech neck is any form of chronic neck or shoulder pain, soreness, or stiffness caused by poor posture while using technology such as phones or computers. Looking down at electronic devices causes the neck muscles to strain and the shoulders to slump forward.

"People will notice some musculoskeletal fatigue," explains Langenhorst. "They may notice pressure on nerve supply, which then can have some referred pain, and pressure on nerve supply within the neck that can have referred pain within the arms and hands."

Over time, this position can deform your shoulder, chest and neck muscles and put pressure on your spine.

"You may have eight to 10 hours at work on a computer. Then you're home for two to four hours on a computer or on your phone. That's extremely fatiguing to your neck and body," says Langenhorst.

"With cellphones, we're having to bring them closer to maintain visual comfort," adds Langenhorst. "What I find all too often is many people don't move enough. They are staying in a static position for extremely long periods of time."

On average, people spend three hours and 15 minutes on their phones each day. Individuals check their phones an average of 58 times each day. Almost half (46%) of Americans believe they spend an average of four to five hours on their smartphones each day. A 2020 study discovered that Americans will spend nearly nine years of their life using their phone.

"Static positioning is actually more work and more effort than dynamic movement," offers Langenhorst. "Your body is going to ask you do you want to have visual comfort or postural comfort. The key here is that vision always wins because we change our posture to accommodate vision."

Tech neck also can cause issues beyond your neck and shoulders. Extra spinal pressure in your neck can lead to lower back pain, headaches and herniated disks (slipped or bulging disks). Altered neck muscles and poor posture also can strain jaw joints and muscles, creating temporomandibular joint pain.

...continued

swipe to next page