What is the "tech neck", an ailment linked to smartphones?

By wetretrjyu
13/02/2023
399 Views

These neck pains affect almost the entire population.

Do you have continual neck and trapezius pain and no matter the number of physio, osteo or massage sessions, the pain keeps coming back? You may be suffering from "tech neck" or "technological neck" in French. This term refers to neck and back pain caused by the use of our smartphones, tablets, computers and other high-tech objects, explains an article in the British edition of Glamor magazine. This modern ailment would even affect "nearly 100% of the [American] population,” according to Dr. K. Daniel Riew, director of cervical spine surgery at a New York hospital.

On average, the French spend more than five hours a day in front of their screens and consult their phones 2,716 times a day, according to a 2019 study by Public Health France. No wonder this habit creates muscle pain! Especially since our posture is always the same: telephone at the level of the navel or chest and head down. Which is really not good for our neck.

Cause of headaches

Indeed, when we look at our smartphone, "our neck is stretched forward, which crushes the natural curve of the cervical spine", explains Hollie Grant, professor of Pilates. In this position, our head weighs more, so we have to make more effort to support its weight and this will create tension in the neck. “The upper back tends to sag, which creates a temporary imbalance in the neck and shoulder muscles,” adds Anji Gopal, osteopath. This bad posture can also cause tension headaches, pain in the shoulders, elbows and wrists.

What is the

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But the repetitive use of our phone is not the only cause of the "technological neck". If our desk is not at the right height and our computer is too low, neck pain will also appear. To avoid the "tech neck", try to reduce the time spent in front of your screens, instead bring your smartphone to eye level – your neck will be straight – and do exercises to strengthen and soften your neck.

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