Tech neck, sometimes called text neck, is a new term for an old issue — neck pain caused from repetitive motions and stress to the cervical spine.
Today, it is commonly caused by texting, working on the computer with poor posture, or other lifestyle increases of screen time or prolonged sitting. The average American spends approximately 6 hours and 55 minutes in front of a screen each day, with teenagers spending longer amounts of time than adults.
Learn more about the condition and our tips to stretch your muscles while protecting your spine.
The cervical spine is composed of 7 vertebrae, labeled C1-C7, and connects the base of the skull to the shoulders. When scrolling on your phone, your body compresses and tightens the muscles in the front of the neck, while lengthening the muscles in the back of the neck. With your head tilted forward, your neck muscles are in constant stress trying to hold that position, and pain can radiate into the shoulders and upper back. Your muscles can become so accustomed to this position that you may notice rounding of the back of your neck, shoulders or even a hunched stance start to develop.
Simple yoga poses like a standing forward fold, or a cat-cow sequence can work to even out your spine and decompress the vertebrae by allowing gravity to pull your head and neck towards the earth. Opening and closing the front of your body, your shoulders and chest, is also an important part of combating tech neck. Use the MediCordz® Core Stabilization Upper Body Kit to stretch through your shoulders. Start in a lunge stance, use the handles to press out, keeping your arms in line with your shoulders and parallel to the ground. Use the resistance to round through your shoulders and upper back, while strengthening those muscles. You can also work your arms around in a circle, working the range of motion of your shoulders.
Challenge the front of your body with a bow pose, and start by lying on your belly and bending your knees. Reach your arms back and grab on to your feet or ankles, lifting up through your upper body while keeping your belly pressed into the ground. Try a variation by looping the StrechCordz® Stretch and Mobility Strap around your ankles and holding on to either side of the strap with your hands. After lifting up, start to walk your hands down the straps towards your ankles for a deeper stretch.
Strengthening the muscles of the cervical spine is just as important as stretching, and the MediCordz® Head Strap Kit is the perfect tool to work all of the little muscles in your neck and shoulders. A simple head nod of tucking your chin to your chest while using this kit will feel completely different with the resistance component. Take fluid motions forward and back to build the muscles that support the weight of your head!
