Shift Your Posture

man looking down at phone demonstrating tech neck posture

Tech Neck or Text Neck

You and I have seen it. Someone walking down the street looking at their phone or sitting at the coffee shop with phone in hand. Perhaps you are reading this blog on your phone.

There is no turning back time. We are a technology driven society. It has its blessings and its curses.

Having worked in the technology and corporate field I, myself had physical issues because of what has now been termed “Text Neck” and more recently renamed “Tech Neck”. As I got better I found that clients on my massage table also shared some of the same numbness in the hands, fingers, neck stiffness. hard to look over the shoulder when changing lanes as I had had.

As you look at this photo you can the curve of his neck begins low into the shoulders. This can also be a forward head posture adding the 30% of strain from the head being in front of the spine would be equivalent to 40 lbs of pressure on the neck and shoulders.

Some simple ways to correct the tech neck to prevent problems.

  • Re-position your phone and make sure you are not looking down at your computer.
  • A great exercise routine to restore the spine include:
    • Move to the front of your chair with feet flat on the floor/ This automatically engages your core muscles
    • Lift your eyes 1 inch higher than level / This restores the natural curve in your neck
    • In that position slowly turn your head to the right then to the left and back to facing forward/ There will be some natural curvature downward as you turn because of the necks anatomy and it will curve back up to where you began automatically Repeat 3 times
    • Add in the Slow deep in breathing (yes, I know to do it already) But imagine inhaling up to the top of your head and exhaling to your feet. Repeat 3 times / This not only lifts the spine but increases oxygen to the brain which sends more oxygen to the muscles signalling them to relax
    • With still sitting on the front of the chair to what I can the “Al Bundy” Reach the arms to the back of the head engage your stomach muscles to lean to the back of the chair controlled the whole way.