Tech neck

It’s hard to believe that summer is starting to wind down. Each month flew by faster than the previous one and during this time the boys have enjoyed playing in the sand, swimming, tubing, hanging out with their cousins, and gardening. As we approach the start of the next school year for the older kids in town, it reminds me of one of the number one concerns I see on a daily basis for young kids and teenagers (as well as adults who spend a lot of time at a computer or laptop for work) and that’s tech neck or forward head posture. 

Prolonged looking down towards cell phones as well as laptops (more often than desktop computers) can actually contribute to a change in our overall posture and spinal curvatures. This extended period of looking down can lead to rounded shoulders, hunched posture, and loss of cervical (neck) curvature. This loss of normal structure in the neck is putting younger people at risk of early disc degeneration if not corrected. Some short term symptoms related to tech neck are fatigue, muscle tightness or tenderness, reduced range of motion, and headaches. Long term symptoms of tech neck can include numbness and tingling into the shoulders or hands, migraines, nerve damage, and spinal degeneration. 

While this sounds like doom and gloom and technology seems unavoidable in daily life today, there are some ways we can combat the effects of tech neck. The number one thing is awareness. When using technology it’s best for the screen to be at eye level rather than down in front of us with our heads hanging down. For every inch that our head comes out in front of us (forward head posture), this makes our head weigh an additional ten pounds on the spine. It’s the idea that you can hold a bowling ball close to your body for an extended period of time but if you stick your arm straight in front of you, the ball seems much heavier and will drop faster. 

For people who already are in the midst of tech neck symptoms, physical therapy exercises, massage therapy, corrective chiropractic care, and spinal molding can help prevent long term damage from technology. Waiting for symptoms to worsen before addressing tech neck can lead to irreversible spinal degeneration. The longer spinal changes sit without momentum helping move things in the opposite direction, the harder it becomes to correct. Severe loss of curvature for an extended period of time can lead to disc herniation, bone spurs, and overtime fusion. ​