Tech Neck? Is that really a thing?

How many hours a day do you spend on a screen? Tablet, smartphone, e-reader, even laptops count!

On average, Americans spend a minimum of 2-4 hours a day on a mobile device. So, what’s the big deal? Well the way we use our body to engage with technology has led to a particularly damaging posture that is so bad it has been giving its own name… Tech Neck. 

You see, when you sit tall with your head floating over your shoulders your head weighs roughly 10 lbs. For every inch your head moves forward of your shoulders the weight of your head nearly doubles. The further forward your head gets the more the weight gets closer to 40 or 50 even 60 lbs in severe cases.

Now, I want you to mage that you are trying to hold a 10 lb bowling ball over your head. Is it easier to do it with your arms straight over your head or out in space in front of you? 

 

The reason straight up and down is easier for carrying heavy loads is that the weight gets evenly distributed throughout the whole spine and torso. Your neck is like your arms and the bowling ball is your head. When the head drifts forward and down, all that weight goes on the base of your head, the base of your neck at your shoulders, and into your lower back. Now image holding 40-50 lbs for 2-4 hours each day? Is it surprising then that Tech Neck often leads to frequent headaches, neck pain, shoulders that are always tight, even pain in the lower back when sitting for long periods of time?

So, what exactly is Tech Neck? In a nutshell Tech Neck occurs when your gaze is angled at your lap, your head hanging towards your navel, your shoulders are rounded, and your back is slumped. Sound familiar? 

The next time you get on your device, take a minute to pay attention to your posture. Are you sitting tall or slumped over? Is your gaze down and your head hanging forward? If you find that you are doing this, there are a few simple things you can do to reduce the stress that is going through your spine, muscles and vital organs. 

1. Scoot your bottom back against the chair you are sitting in and stick it out a little so that your weight goes into your sit bones (the bony knobs at the bottom of the buttock). If you don’t reach the back of the chair, put a pillow or rolled up towel at the level of your waist to support your lower back and pelvis. When you sit on your sit bones your pelvis provides a stable base for your spine to maintain an upright posture.

2. Next prop your arms up so you can hold your screen closer to your eyes and in front of your face. Here are a couple ways to do that:
       a. Rest your elbows close together on your chest with hands up towards your face.
       b. Cross your non dominant arm across your chest. Use the hand of your non dominant arm to form a cradle for your dominant elbow. You can then hold your dominant hand up towards your face with greater ease.
       c. when lounging at home, use throw pillows to prop your arms on.
3. Keep your gaze no more than 20 degrees below the horizontal. This will help you keep your head up and not strain it forward as you get more enthralled by your device.

If you find it hard to maintain an upright posture for any length of time, then there is weakness that has developed over time that you may want to get checked out. When your posture changes shape it requires specific rehabilitation to get you strong and resilient again. 

Interested in the changes we get through our unique rehabilitation methods? Keep an eye out for our case of the month where we show the changes that get our patients back to the strength and confidence they desire.