Even a small tilt forward of your head creates an enormous amount of pressure on the joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves in your neck and upper back. Think about doing this for several minutes, or a few hours, day after day after day. It’s not hard to imagine how damaging this would be over the long term.
1. Raise it up
Keep your phone at eye level as much as possible. Maintaining a good head position will help you avoid the painful symptoms of tech neck. It’s just as important to avoid looking down at tablets and laptops. Using devices on stands and lap desks will help raise them to an adequate level
2. Take a break
At least every 15 minutes, raise your head and take a break from your screen. Get up and take a short walk before you return to your screen. If you have stairs, take a few trips up and down to get your blood flowing also.
3. Move your body
Do a few stretches during your break. Arch your back and gently tilt your head side to side and up and down. Strengthening those muscles improves your posture and reduces your risk of muscle strain.
What are the long-time effects of tech neck?
Disc Problems – your discs cushion the vertebrae in your spinal column. Although they are designed to be flexible, they are not meant to withstand the strong forces that occur when you constantly keep your head lowered. Over time, you may begin to experience cracked, slept or herniated discs.
Pinched Nerves – Using bad posture when you text can also increase your risk of a pinched nerve. The problem occurs when bone or tissue presses on a nerve.
Arthritis – Wear and tear on your vertebrae can lead to early arthritis.
Bone Spurs – Bone spurs can develop due to the stress on your spinal column and can cause pinched nerves.
