The cause of your neck pain could be right in your pocket

Take a quick scan of the crowd the next time you’re out. How many heads are bent over smartphones, how many shoulders hunched over laptops?

We’re binge watching TV shows on the go, texting frequently with our friends, or scrolling endlessly over apps.

The rise of smartphones and handheld devices has significantly impacted our daily posture.

While our lifestyles have adapted effortlessly around technological advances, our bodies aren’t coping so well.

Many health care providers admit to seeing a sharp rise in chronic neck pain and in younger populations. So much so that the condition is often referred to as tech neck.

So, what is tech neck and how can you combat the effects without giving up your devices?

Tech neck is another name for neck pain associated with being chronically hunched over an electronic device. What you’re really experiencing is pain secondary to forward head posture.

The neck has a backward curve in it that allows the smaller muscles of the neck to hold up the extra weight of the head. When we remain in forward head posture long term, we lose that natural curve in the neck. This places up to 40 extra pounds of tension on the muscles of the neck and upper shoulders! The extra strain can cause neck pain, tension headaches, pain in the upper back or shoulders, and can even cause numbness, tingling or weakness in the hands.

Here are five simple strategies for improving your posture and avoiding tech neck.

1. Invest in a stand for your phone or device that allows you prop it on a table, desk or counter. This keeps the device more at eye level and decreases the degree of flexion in your neck when using your device.

2. Take a break for your device. Frequent breaks from your devices are not only important for your posture but also for your eyesight. Sit up, look around and get your body moving at least 5 minutes every hour. This is also a great time to add in some stretches for tech neck.

3. Neck drawers are a great exercise to strengthen your neck muscles and encourage proper posture. If you can, lay on your back with you knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Practice pressing your shoulders and neck back into the ground. Hold that position for 30 seconds if you can and repeat three times. If you are in public and don’t want to lay on the ground, you can also stand with your upper body against a hard wall and flatten your shoulders to the wall while driving the back of you head toward the wall.

4. Stretch your shoulders using a doorway. Raise your arms up to shoulder level with a 90-degree bend in the elbow, with forearm and palms facing forward and aligned with the doorway. Gently walk or lunge through the doorway allowing it to stretch your shoulders back.

5. Invest in a posture pump. A posture pump is a device that you can use in the evenings to help relieve neck pain and strain. It helps your muscles relax with you neck in correct alignment to decrease forward head posture and correct your cervical curve.

While there are many underlying causes of chronic neck pain, tech neck is undoubtable one the fastest growing causes of neck pain — especially in younger populations.

If these strategies are not controlling your pain or if you are concerned you may a more serious underlying cause to your neck pain, call PC Medical Centers for a free consultation today!