“Tech neck” is an act that puts strain on the muscles when using a mobile phone, tablet, or computer, causing neck and shoulder pain, stiffness, and pain, and getting worse. Over the past year, people have spent an average of 5 hours and 53 minutes a day using digital media, of which 3 hours a day have been non-voice activity on mobile devices. Daniel Riew, MD, director of orthopedic cervical spine surgery and co-director of spine surgery at New York-Presbyterian Och Spine Hospital, talks about headaches, neck cramps, and squeaky shoulder joints caused by prolonged neck rest.
Riew describes the causes and symptoms of Tech Neck and provides a way to properly and safely align your body when using mobile phones, computers, and other digital media devices.
What Causes Tech Neck?
When working on a computer or looking at a cell phone, you need to contract your neck muscles to keep your head upright. The more you look down, the more muscles you must work to keep your head up. These muscles can cause excessive fatigue and pain when looking at a smartphone, working on a computer, or looking at a tablet all day long.
When you sit with your back straight, you need to not only apply great force to the lumbar discs but also contract your neck muscles to keep your head upright. Therefore, sitting upright for hours can result in pain in both your back and neck.? An effective way to sit is to recline the chair 2530 degrees and provide firm support to your lower back to prevent sagging. Most people do not hurt their neck or back as much as sitting straight, so use a reclining chair to do this intuitively when you are relaxing.
“At just 45 degrees, the neck muscles are working to lift a 50-pound potato bag. “
How many people are suffering from Tech Neck?
All patients I see say that working with a computer exacerbates neck pain. “Oh yeah, you can work on your computer for hours every day without giving up,” is a rare person with a neck problem. Good for the rest of the body as well as the neck.
They are doctors who treat bone and joint problems non-surgically. If non-surgical procedures do not work, or if you have persistent problems such as numbness or persistent weakness in your arms, it is time to consider surgery and see a surgeon. If you have neck pain that bothers you, it is a clever idea to do some aerobic exercise regularly. Choose aerobic exercise that does not cause neck pain during the day or the next day.
Aerobic exercise sends oxygen-rich blood to tired muscles, washing away chemicals that cause inflammation and pain. If you are spending a long day working on your computer for a long time, going home and exercising for 45 minutes can make you feel particularly good.
Less tech. More neck!
