'Tech neck': Technology's effect on your neck

Are you looking at your phone right now? Stop and evaluate your posture. Is your head down to look at your device? You're not alone.

On average, people spend three hours and 15 minutes on their phones daily, checking them an average of 58 times each day. Almost half of Americans say they spend an average of four to five hours on their smartphones daily.

Some people spend eight or more hours using a computer during the workday. After work, you may spend another two to four hours on a home computer or your phone. The combined time spent using a screened device is highly fatiguing for your neck and body.

The problem of pressure

Bending your head forward at a 45-degree angle to look at a cellphone or tablet can dramatically increase your chances of having a "tech neck."

You can use an analogy with a gallon of milk to help understand the pressure of supporting your head on the neck, shoulders and back. The average adult's head weighs approximately 10-12 pounds, while a gallon of milk weighs roughly eight pounds. You can likely hold a gallon of milk next to your body for an extended length of time. But if you extend your arm to hold the gallon of milk out to your side, you're creating 72 pounds of pressure at your elbow and 96 pounds at your shoulder. Holding the gallon of milk outstretched for an extended period would be more difficult due to the pressure from the weight.

Your neck and upper back muscles feel the same pressure from the weight of your head when spending extended time looking down at electronic devices. As a result, "tech neck" is becoming a more common issue for people in businesses, schools and industry.

Neck pain is the fourth leading cause of disability, with an annual prevalence rate exceeding 30%. Most episodes of acute neck pain will resolve with or without treatment, but nearly 50% of those people will continue to experience some degree of fatigue or discomfort from frequent recurrences.

What is tech neck?

Tech neck is any form of chronic neck or shoulder pain, soreness or stiffness caused by poor posture while using technology, such as phones or computers.

Looking down at electronic devices causes the neck muscles to strain and the shoulders to slump forward. Musculoskeletal fatigue and pressure on the nerve supply in the neck can cause pain in the neck, which also can cause referred pain in the arms and hands. Over time, staying in this position can increase the force and effort on your shoulders, neck and upper back muscles and put uneven pressure on your spine.

Your posture also can contribute to these issues. While using a cellphone, you're likely to bring it closer to your body to maintain visual comfort and see the screen more clearly. People looking at their phones often stay in a static or same position for extremely long periods of time. This actually requires more work and effort from your body than dynamic movement.

Your body wants to have visual comfort over postural comfort. This means you will tend to change your posture to accommodate vision with your screen and can cause musculoskeletal fatigue.

Tech neck also can cause issues beyond your neck and shoulders. Extra spinal pressure in your neck can lead to mid and lower-back pain as well as headaches.

As you age, the discs of your spine become narrowed, and you lose some of the support they provide. This leads to more pressure on the nerve roots that emerge from the spine at the base of the neck. Some people may notice an increased level of fatigue and discomfort.

While children may be less affected by poor posture and lack of ergonomics, the effects of those issues can take a toll on their bodies as they grow. As early as your 20s, muscle fatigue can set in and cause more strain and sprain. It's critical to ensure young people consistently stretch, change positions and move throughout the day to avoid neck and back strain.

Ways to decrease the strain of tech neck

You can decrease the pressure caused by tech neck by placing pillows on your lap to support your forearms. Try to hold the phone in a more upright, angled position to improve visual comfort.

Ways to improve your computer posture include:

• Place your screen 20–30 inches away from your eyes, which is about an arm's length.
• Use a computer monitor or laptop stand to help raise your screen to the right level. Your eye height should be about 1/2 inch to 1½ inches higher than the top characters on your screen to allow for a 15-degree eye gaze.
• Sit with your head, hips and spine stacked.
• Keep your wrists straight and your elbows bent at about 90-degree angles.
• Keep your knees aligned with your hips and your feet flat on the floor.

When you are looking straight ahead, your neck, back and upper shoulder muscles get a chance to relax. This prevents uneven pressure on the nerve supply of these muscle groups.

The goal is to stay in a neutral, supported, upright posture while using screened devices. Focus on keeping your head upright with your ears over your shoulders and your shoulders over your hips.

Also, look for ways to build movement into your day after being in a static position like sitting. Remember, your next posture is your best posture.