Are you reading this blog post on your phone while waiting in line, or lounging on your sofa with the screen in your lap? If so, chances are you are one of many people with a medical issue you didn’t even know existed – tech neck.
This article explains what tech neck is, how to recognize the symptoms, and what you can do to prevent and reverse the condition.
What Is Tech Neck?
Tech neck, or cervical kyphosis, is a condition caused by tilting your head down repeatedly to look down at your laptop, mobile phone, or tablet. The more you look down, the more muscles in your neck have to work to keep your head up.
Tilting your head applies excess pressure on bones and muscles. Overworking the neck muscles can lead to stiffness in the shoulders, heavy headaches, strain in the neck, backache, and can even damage the spine and lead to disability.
Scientists refer to this condition as an emerging 21st-century syndrome. They estimate about 75% of adults and children worldwide bend their necks for hours every day.
What Does Tech Neck Look Like?
The short-term effects of tech neck are not apparent. As the condition progresses, the patient feels more intense and frequent pain and stiffness in the neck and shoulders. The long-term effects include a crooked spine and bent posture, among other symptoms.
Tech Neck Symptoms
The tech neck syndrome can negatively affect the spine, eyes, head, heart, lungs, and the psychological aspect. The immediate and associated symptoms include:
- Acute neck and shoulder pain
- Muscle spasms in the neck
- Lower back pain
- Stiffness
- Limited neck mobility
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Jaw pain
- Eye strain
- Dry eyes
- Nearsightedness
- Increased weight
- Unexplained cardiac problems
- Impaired lung function
- Irritability
- Anxiety
Tech neck also leads to cosmetic concerns. It accelerates the formation of neck wrinkles from the repetitive downward head movements.
Can Tech Neck Be Reversed?
Tech neck can be prevented, and some symptoms can be reversed by limiting screen time, learning how to sit correctly while using electronic devices, and increasing physical activity. The success of symptom reversal depends on the condition’s duration and severity.
How to Prevent Tech Neck
Prevention is essential in relation to tech neck problems. The following tips are easy to apply but demand discipline.
Keep Your Head Up
When using an electronic device, keep your head up whenever possible and avoid bending your neck for long periods. If you work on your computer for eight or more hours daily, recline in your chair for while and hold the back of your head up against the headrest. This may require investing in a good chair but prevents issues with your neck, back, shoulders, head, and overall posture.
Correct Your Posture
A slouched posture contributes to various muscle issues and strains the spine. Look at your profile in the mirror. You should be able to draw a vertical line from your ear down to the shoulder. If that’s not the case, actively try to correct your posture and align your neck correctly.
Limit Screen Time
Using screens is inevitable at work and, sometimes, at school. However, limiting screen time outside of what’s required reduces the chance of bending the neck, slouching, and curving the neck and spine more than necessary. Medical professionals emphasize the importance of limiting screen time for preschool children to up to one hour daily. Older children, adolescents, and adults should reduce their screen time to two hours daily.
Take Frequent Breaks
Take breaks as often as possible. Get up and move. Go to the bathroom. Grab a glass of water. Walk around for several minutes. This will get your blood circulating and position your neck differently. If you have trouble remembering to get up and take a break, set reminders on your phone or use a sticky note.
Position Your Screen Higher
Changing how you hold your phone or tablet can help your neck immensely. Bring the screen to eye level to keep a neutral spine. If you’re working on a laptop, invest in a monitor whose height you can adjust. You can also use a holder that will raise your laptop so you don’t need to slouch and look down.
How to Get Rid of the Tech Neck Hump
Tech neck hump, Dowager’s hump, or a curve at the base of your neck is a sign you’ve been spending too much time looking down at your mobile device. All the measures for preventing tech neck apply here as well. However, you also need to increase your physical activity to reverse the condition.
Regular Physical Activity
Regular exercise is a remedy for many medical concerns, and tech neck is one of them.
Aerobic exercise—jogging, walking, swimming, riding a bike, or using an elliptical—eases neck tension, especially if you do it every day for about 20-30 minutes. It sends oxygenated blood to tired muscles and helps fight inflammation. Yoga also does wonders for the neck. Downward-facing dog and similar postures help stretch the area around the neck, upper back, and shoulders.
Tech Neck Exercises
Weak back and neck muscles and chronic tension in this area lead to tech neck hump. The best way to alleviate the pain and improve posture is to do targeted exercises for this area. They include:
- Upper back stretch – Stand facing a wall. Place your hands on the wall, slightly above your shoulders. Slowly bend your arms as if doing pushups. Keep your back straight and ears in line with your shoulders. Repeat 10-12 times.
- Doorway stretch – Stand in an open doorway. Raise your arms sideways, forming a 90-degree angle with each arm, and place them on the doorframe. Step or lean forward to feel your chest muscles stretch. Stay in this position for 20-30 seconds and repeat several times.
- Chin tilts – Slowly move your head up to look at the ceiling. Then, move it down to look at the floor. Return the head to a neutral position. Do three sets of ten exercises.
- Scapular squeeze – Stand with your arms resting by your sides. Slowly squeeze your shoulder blades together, relax, and repeat ten times. Do three sets of this exercise. It activates and strengthens upper back muscles.
Your physical therapists may recommend more exercises for tech neck hump. You can do them during mini breaks at work.
Daily, consistent practice will help alleviate your pain and stiffness and improve your posture.
How to Get Rid of Tech Neck Lines
Tech neck wrinkles are a common consequence of excessive cell phone use. There are several ways to reduce their appearance and maintain smooth skin on the neck.
Improve Your Sleeping Position
Doctors claim sleeping on your back is the best position for reducing neck wrinkles and maintaining youthful skin on the neck and face. A foam mattress and silk pillowcase may also help reduce wrinkle-forming friction and minimize the appearance of neck wrinkles.
Exfoliate
Wrinkles form partly because of slower skin cell turnover and dead cells accumulating on the skin. Many people exfoliate their face to remove dead skin cells and speed up the process of cell renewal. Exfoliation can also benefit the neck skin. Use gentle exfoliating products because the skin on the neck is thinner than on the face. Exfoliate once a week.
Use Neck Moisturizers and Serums
You can improve the appearance of your neck skin and reduce neck lines and wrinkles using appropriate moisturizers and serums. Aim at products with hydrating and anti-aging ingredients, such as retinol, vitamin C, peptides, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and shea butter.
Note: Antioxidants are some of the best anti-aging ingredients in skin care. Learn which antioxidant products to use and when.
Drink Enough Water
Dehydrated skin looks dull and old. That includes the neck skin, too. Drink a minimum of half of your body weight in ounces each day.
Erase Wrinkles with Cosmetic Treatments
Wrinkles that are a direct result of tech neck can be treated using Sculptra, Botox, and/or Vivace.
Sculptra is an injectable that stimulates your body to rebuild its own collagen. It is injected in a series of three treatments, usually over six months. To learn more about this injectable, check out our article on how Sculptra can be used for neck rejuvenation.
Botox is the most famousneurotoxin that prevents muscles from moving and creating folds. To treat tech neck, the neurotoxin is hyper-diluted and injected superficially around fine lines and wrinkles to smooth the skin. Read our article on Botox neck lift to learn how the treatment can rejuvenate this area.
Another great way to tighten loose skin on the neck is Vivace microneedling. This state-of-the-art skin resurfacing machine can be used on all skin types and is virtually pain-free. This treatment will help decrease and soften tech neck wrinkles, erasing signs of neck strain.
Conclusion
Tech neck is a new medical condition that appeared with the cell phone craze. It is often followed by pain and discomfort in the neck area, as well as tech neck wrinkles. Fortunately, there are many ways to combat the issue. The tips we collected here will hopefully help you improve your posture and smooth out your neck skin.
