As people become more reliant on technology, they tend to spend more time looking at devices. This often results in causing damage to their necks as they spend more time looking down, using a position that is not natural for long periods of time. As the author of the article points out, there was a lot of skepticism for years that it was a significant problem. However, after over a decade since people have become reliant on smartphones, tablets, and computers, it is difficult to ignore the fact that the problem, commonly referred to as tech neck or text neck (since people tend to look down a lot to text). It’s a problem that can be easily resolved by being more aware of your use of devices. The following advice can help you reduce tension in your neck and shoulders, reduce headaches, and the long-term tingling and pain that tech neck can cause.
- Pay attention to your posture. A lot of back problems stem from people sitting in positions that harm their spines. Even if you have poor posture for part of the day, if you pay attention and improve your posture over the course of the day, you can reduce a number of back and neck issues as you age.
- Headphones can provide a great way of hearing whatever you are listening to and still be able to put our devices down in front of us. This can help you to be hands-free, placing devices in front of you, thereby keeping you from tensing your neck and shoulders trying to hold and look at the small screen. If your headphones have a speaker, you can text and do other activities without having to hold or look at your phone or tablet.
- Make a point of regularly moving around so that you aren’t in the same sitting or standing position for prolonged periods of time. Humans have never been particularly sedentary creatures over tens of thousands of years. Moving around for a couple of minutes every hour can help loosen tense muscles and stretch the body. It also adjusts where stress is placed on your back and neck. Sitting for long periods of time places a lot of burden on the lower back and is one of the primary reasons for lower back pain in adults. Standing for too long can cause additional stress to the legs, neck, and jaw.
Tech neck is an example of a problem that was really exacerbated by technology, but the problem existed before today’s technology. Fortunately, it is something that is easy to alleviate or entirely avoid.
If you would like to learn more details, you can read the full article at Health and Wellness: Tech Neck – What It Is and How to Cure It.