Health Tips

We all know that the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed us further into the digital world as we become more connected with our electronic devices, especially with “Stay At Home, Work From Home” schemes. 

According to Statista, the average daily time spent using the Internet by Malaysians in the third quarter of 2020 was around 9.17 hours, in which 3.01 hours were spent on social media everyday 一 this is around 38% of the day we spend in front of the screens! 

But, what implications do this have in our lives? The repetitive strain to the muscles around the cervical spine as a result of long hours of using our phones and gadgets can cause pain in our neck and shoulders. This condition caused by our modern behaviour is termed “tech neck”. Now, before we start worrying about what’s wrong with our necks, let’s talk about tech necks and how we can prevent and treat them! 

WHAT CAUSES TECH NECK?

When you are looking down at your phone or working on a computer, the muscles, tendons and ligament structures at the back of our neck are lengthened to hold our head. The more we tilt our head forward or the longer we look down at our phones and tablets, the more our neck muscles have to work to keep our head up. Overtime, these muscles can get overly tired or sore, and can cause problems to our neck and shoulders. 

Image source: https://www.ewiworks.com/blog/bad-text-neck/

Here’s a fun fact, the average human head weighs almost 5.4kg 一 this is equivalent to a bowling ball! Just imagine, our poor necks have to withstand the 23kg force exerted by our head when our neck is bent 45degrees forward, and worse for 9.17 hours! 

Although, ditching our devices is not really a wise option in a fast-evolving technological world that we live in today....

WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT THEM?

• TAKE BREAKS OFTEN 

  • Take 2-3minutes break every half an hour to move around and change your posture. This keeps your muscles loose and spine aligned. You can set an alarm to remind you to take breaks! 

• RAISE YOUR SCREEN HIGHER AT EYE LEVEL 

  • Move your phone up closer to eye level so your head don’t have to be tilted forward.

• STRETCH AND STRENGTHEN YOUR MUSCLES 

  • Stand up straight

    • Maintain a good posture with your chin tucked in, and shoulders pulled back. This keeps the body aligned in a neutral position.

  • Arch and stretch 

    • Arch the neck and upper back backward to ease muscle pain. 

  • Keep your chin tucked in gently when using your smartphone, this prevents the common “Poking Chin” posture that causes so much neck ache.

• SIT IN A CHAIR WITH HEADREST CHAIR 

  • Keep the back of your head resting against the headrest while you use the screen to prevent your neck from tilting forward. 

• EXERCISE REGULARLY 

  • Strong, flexible back and neck are more able to handle stress and pressure from the weight of our head.  

EXERCISES TO OVERCOME TECH NECK

• CHIN TUCK 

  • A simple exercise you can do at your desk or even in a meeting at work. This simple stretch will help increase spinal awareness, while strengthening the neck muscles to help pull your head back into alignment!
  • How to do it: 

1. Sit up tall in a chair and keep your chin parallel to the floor. Without tilting your head in any direction, gently draw your head and chin back, like you’re making a double chin. Be careful not to jam your head back. You should feel a stretch along the back of the neck.
2. Now imagine there’s a string pulling your head upward like a puppet, and actively elongate your neck. Actively push the base of your skull away from the base of your neck. Keep your jaw relaxed and hold this position for 3 deep breaths.
3. Release your chin forward. Repeat.

Image: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/311733605450707589/

• EXAGGERATED NOD 

  • This exercise counterbalances the downward/forward head position by pulling your shoulders down and back, and increasing neck mobility
  • How to do it: 

1. Sit at your desk or stand comfortably with your shoulders relaxed. Close your mouth with teeth touching but not clenching, and look up to the ceiling. 
2. Take a pause here and let your jaw relax and open your mouth. Now, bring your head further back an inch or two.
3. Keep your head still here and bring your lower jaw to your upper jaw with your mouth closed. You should feel a stretch in the front of your neck. 

Image source: https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/text-neck-treatment

• DOWNWARD-FACING DOG 

  • Excessive tech usage can cause our chest and shoulder muscles to be tightened. Downward-Facing Dog can open up the anterior chest wall and shoulders. 
  • How to do it: 

1. Begin on all fours. Tuck your toes and lift your hips high, reaching your hip bones toward the ceiling.
2. Reach your heels back toward the mat, but don’t let them plank on the ground.
3. Drop your head so that your neck is long. As you stay here, make sure that your wrist creases stay parallel to the front edge of the mat.
4. To alleviate the pressure on your wrists, press into the knuckles of your forefingers and thumbs.
5. Breathe here for at least three deep breaths. Then release.

Image source: https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/text-neck-treatment

• ^CAT-COW

  • This movement sequence helps increase spinal awareness

  • How to do it: 

1. Start on all fours with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, your hips stacked over your knees, and the tops of your feet pressed into the ground. Look down a few inches in front of your fingers and lengthen from your head down to your tailbone.
2. To begin the ‘cat’ phase, use your abs to curl your spine toward the ceiling while tucking in your tailbone (making the shape of a Halloween cat) as you exhale. Lengthen your neck and allow your chin to reach down and in, toward your chest, so your ears come down by your biceps.
3. To begin the ‘cow’ phase, swoop and scoop your pelvis so your belly drops down to the floor as you inhale. Broaden across your shoulder blades, drawing your shoulders away from your ears, and lift your chin and chest to gaze up toward the ceiling.
4. Cycle through Cat-Cow a few times, keeping stress and pressure out of the head and neck.

Image source: https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/text-neck-treatment

• BOW POSE

  • Bow pose helps to counteract slouched shoulders by opening them from the front, and strengthening them from the back.
  • How to do it: 

1. Lie flat on your stomach with your chin on the floor and your hands resting on either side of you.
2. Bend your knees and bring your heels as close to your buttocks as you can. Reach backwards with both hands and grab onto your outer ankles. As you inhale, lift your heels up toward the ceiling so that your chest, thighs, and upper torso lift up off the mat.
3. To intensify the stretch, try to lift your heels higher while keeping your tailbone pressed into the mat. Look forward and draw your shoulders away from your ears.
4. Hold this position for 10 breaths. Release on an exhale by slowly lowering your thighs, and then the rest of your body, to the ground.

Image source: https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/text-neck-treatment

• PADAHASTASANA

  • Padahastasana stretches the neck and hamstrings, which means that it’s fighting text neck and hips that are tight from sitting all day at the same time,
  • How to do it: 

1. Take off your shoes and begin with your feet hip-distance apart. Then, bend forward, letting your arms touch the floor. If it’s difficult, take your arms only as far as it’s possible without straining.
2. Bend your knees and lift the balls of your feet off the ground to slip your hands, palms face-up, underneath your feet.
3. Allow your toes to come right into your wrist creases. Press into your palm with the balls of your feet and relax your head. Breathe here for at least three deep breaths.

Image source: https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/text-neck-treatment

• NECK STRETCHING EXERCISES

  • How to do it:

1. Place your feet flat on the floor and sit up straight.
2. Relax your arms by your sides.
3. Place your right hand on your head. Tilt your head to the right. Use a little bit of pressure from your hand on your head to deepen the stretch.
4. Hold for 30 seconds. 
5. Slowly lift your head and repeat this exercise on your left side.

Image source: https://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/exercises.asp?exercise=56

WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR?

Usually, neck or shoulder problems related to tech neck aren’t serious. However, if you have tried all of the above and your pain does not improve, it may be time to seek help from your doctor as there could be an underlying condition. See your doctor if you have neck pain with:

• Severe or worsening pain or headaches

• Continued pain after a course of conservative treatment( i.e., exercise, breaks, lifestyle changes)

• Weakness, numbness, loss of feeling, or tingling in the arms and hands

• Pain that makes it hard to sleep

• Existing health problems that involve the neck (e.g., arthritis)

A WORD FROM DOC2US

If you have any questions related to neck or shoulders pain, you can consult our professional doctors and healthcare professionals on Doc2Us. Doc2Us is a mobile application that allows you to talk to a doctor or any healthcare professionals via text chat at any time and from anywhere. For better communication, you can even send our online doctor images or voice messages related to your medical inquiry.

Download Doc2Us app on Apple App Store, Google Play Store and Huawei App Gallery; or use our web chat at https://web.doc2us.com/

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Disclaimer: As a service to our users and general public, Doc2Us provides health education contents. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

REFERENCES:

1. Statista - Average time spent using online media in Malaysia in Q3 2020, by activity(in hours per day)
2. Healthline - 6 Chiropractor-Approved Exercises to Fight Text Neck
3. Mayoclinic - Sitting at your desk doesn't have to be a pain in the neck
4. Spine-Health - 5 Tips to Prevent Tech Neck Pain
5. Spine-Health - Text Neck Treatment and Prevention
6. Good Path - How to Prevent & Correct Tech Neck

Thumbnail image source: https://www.scarymommy.com/tech-neck-big-problem-no-thanks-pandemic/








 

Written By

Ms Shin Yen Ter

Reviewed By

Doc2us Medical Board